


From Drop to Waterfall

by Ainu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Aquariums, Attempt at Humor, Bobbie i wrote this punch thinking of you, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, I CAN'T BELIEVE I FINISHED THIS, Implied/Referenced Cheating, KageHina fighting, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Multi, Oikawa is a real asshole, Polyamory, Slow Build, Swimming Pools, a little bit of iwaoi, a little bit of oihina, a little bit of tsukkiyama, ah the angst, but nothing explicit because I'm a coward, don't panic yachi saves him, hinata almost drowns, jealous kageyama even if he doesn't know, jealous yachi, kenhina yay!, more milk than you can drink, more tags to add, some penguin love, trigger warning: blobfish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:10:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6606916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ainu/pseuds/Ainu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yachi's happy with her life, her boyfriend Kageyama fights boredom with some naughty thoughts and Hinata almost drowns in the pool. After a few swimming lessons the couple realize that there's a lot more behind that bright smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is the firs time I publish anything! and english isn't even my mother language :0 So...  
> Thanks to GhostFox!! I can't thank you enough <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter is meh, I promise it gets better!!

The summer sun, high in the sky, shines as bright as Kageyama is bored. He lies on his stomach, gazing at his girlfriend as she spreads sunscreen on her thighs. Damn, she's hot and he's grateful for lying face down and not on his back. Only one week into summer break and he already misses volleyball as if he hadn't played in two years. He stirs a little and thinks of swimming for a while, so he sits lazily and groans on his towel over the soft green grass. He's so bored, ugh. Luckily he can enjoy such a sweet view while he waits for his girlfriend to end her shift at the swimming pool. 

Yachi, the lifeguard of said pool, is happy with her life. She likes her summer job, she likes her apartment, her classes are over for the summer, and she loves her boyfriend... If somebody were to ask her if she wanted to change anything in her life she would only say that she would love to be more forward and determined and less shy. But, all in all, she's pretty content with her life style. Moving away from home to go to a good college near the coast was one of the best decisions she’d ever made, and now she can feel the freedom that she never had living with her mom, and having the freedom to invite her boyfriend over any time she wants is the best perk of being an adult — or a young adult, whatever.

She smiles as she lets her eyes wander over the clear surface of the water, wincing slightly when the reflecting sun hits her eyes.  The pool is almost empty which means less work for her and more chances for her boyfriend to be even more bored. She knows that he's not comfortable around people if volleyball isn't involved, that's why she appreciates his offer of come along with her to all of the boring evenings at the almost deserted swimming pool

"You can leave whenever you want, you know," Yachi turns her head to Kageyama who looks like he’s having an internal struggle, fidgeting on his towel not knowing if he should stand or stay still by her side.

Kageyama darts his eyes away from her, trying his best to not to blush before whispering a muffled "No, I'm good here." 

Yachi giggles "I know you're bored. We've been together long enough to tell what you're really thinking," and it's true, Yachi can read Kageyama a lot better than when they started dating. Back then she struggled a lot trying to figure out Kageyama's subtle facial expressions. She decided that if Kageyama is bad with words she'd be good reading his mind. Like a super hero, but instead of fighting crime she'd fight verbal constipation. She liked the idea. "We could go to the aquarium after my shift if you want. I heard they have new jellyfish in the main tank, and maybe we can stay a little longer than the last time watching the penguins," she offers, knowing her boyfriend's love for penguins and jellyfish.

A little smile sparks on Kageyama's face for a millisecond, eyes sparkling in excitement. Trying to compose himself again and still avoiding Yachi's gaze he starts to stand, attempting, and failing, to look as casual as possible "Yeah, sure, why not?" He stretches his arms over his head "It's been a while since the last time we went and I want to see if Pen Pen... I mean, that injured penguin from the last time is doing ok." Kageyama is _definitely_ red.

Yachi can't hold it anymore and starts laughing, hands over her stomach, but she stops when something at the other side of the pool catches her attention. Though the swimming pool is pretty empty, pretty normal if you consider that you have a gorgeous beach 10 minutes away from there, the guy, with almost offensively bright orange hair and an even more insultingly ugly swimsuit, would stand out in the middle of a crowd.

Kageyama follows Yachi's gaze and snorts at the view. It's almost ridiculous how the guy walks to the edge of the water and jumps, like he’s afraid of the water or something, when he should be afraid of wearing such a stupid piece of clothing in public. Kageyama plans to verbally express his thoughts when he notices that the guy isn't coming out of the water. Instead he says "How long has he been down there?" But) Yachi is already jumping into the water, followed by Kageyama, who takes a second to admire his girlfriends body in a swimsuit (again), and her graceful and fast movement before the jump. Damn —again, she's hot. And damn his stupid hormones, failing at that precise moment when nobody wants their opinion.

Yachi opens her eyes under the water and she instantly spots the ugly swimsuit a few meters in front of her (bless the horrendous trunks) and swims as fast as she can, reaching the boy in two powerful stroke. The guy is obviously panicking and Yachi has to be careful before grabbing the boy under his armpits and dragging him to the surface. Kageyama is by her side in a blink, helping her with the shaking boy. 

"What the fuck were you doing, dumbass? Do you even know how to swim?" Kageyama yells at the boy, who's sitting on the grass, trying to cough the water out of his lungs whilst Yachi rubs his back. "Why on earth would you even jump into the water if you don't know how to swim? Are you actually brainless?"

"Tobio, enough," Yachi says softly, and that's all that it takes for Kageyama to shut up. Yachi can tell by his body language that he's more concerned than pissed. "Hey, are you alright? Can you breathe normally?" She's still rubbing the boys back even though he stopped coughing.

"Yes, yes... I'm... fine. Sorry," the boy croaks, voice hoarse because of the angry coughing. "I'm so sorry; I didn't know the pool was that deep there."

"There are marks at the sides, dumbass," Kageyama is still mad.

"Well, I obviously didn't see them," the boy snaps back. "I'm sorry, ugh, I'm so embarrassed," The boy seems really stressed looking around him, ears reddening by the second.

"Don't be, this happens all the time, believe me," Yachi tries to calm him with a reassuring smile. "I'm Yachi Hitoka, and he's Kageyama Tobio," Yachi glares at Kageyama, trying to make him be nice to the boy on the ground.

"Yeah... Hi...," Kageyama forces himself to be nice because he loves her and he wants to make her happy, and also because she can be scary when she's mad.

"I'm Hinata Shouyou," the boy presents himself, his breathing back to normal.

"Come sit with us for a while, Hinata, that way I can check you out if you start to feel weird. The dry drowning can be dangerous," Yachi coaxes Hinata to stand up and follow her to the lifeguard spot. She turns to the other four people at the swimming pool, who are watching them expectantly and waves "He's ok, he's ok!" And they turn around to attend their own business again. 

While they walk to their spot Kageyama is suddenly aware of Hinata's height. He's so short he'd have drowned even in the kid’s pool, Kageyama thinks. He looks pretty young, younger than them at least, with those big eyes and faded freckles on his nose, cheeks, and shoulders. 

They sit in silence. Yachi goes back to her job while the two boys sit awkwardly next to each other on Kageyama's towel. Hinata's hair is starting to dry under the hot sun rays, sticking up wildly around his head, giving him the appearance of a half drowned kitten. Kageyama begins to feel the weight of the silence, noticing a drop of sweat running down his back and he's quite sure that the heat is not causing it.

"You were right," Hinata whispers.

"Did you say something?" Kageyama turns his head to the shorter boy.

"I said that you were right, I don't how to swim!" Hinata repeats, raising his voice, annoyed with the fact that he has to recognize his failure again out loud.

"And that's why you went so straight forward and jumped into the water? Seriously, you're so dumb. Don't do that again"

"I know, I wasn't thinking," Hinata groans, head falling to his chest. "I need to learn how to swim before the end of the week"

"Why is that?" Yachi pokes his head from behind Kageyama's shoulder. "You're as skilled as a brick in the water. It will take you more than a week to learn, no offense"

"No offense taken" Hinata smiles a little and then sighs. "Next week I start working at the aquarium as a guide," Hinata says as it were the obvious answer. Yachi and Kageyama keep looking at him, waiting for the rest of the explanation. "Everyone who works at the aquarium has to know how to swim!" Hinata exclaims, flapping his hands trying to prove a point that nobody gets.

"Are you afraid of falling into a fish tank and dying or what?"  Kageyama jokes.

"Exactly!" Finally somebody understands him.

"So stupid," Kageyama mutters, face palming.

Yachi shoves her boyfriend gently, sharing an amused look with him before turning her attention to Hinata again. "Kageyama can teach you if you want". She knows this is probably a bad idea — the worst idea even, but maybe this situation could be a learning experience for Kageyama and his social skills. That way she wouldn't have to worry about him and his boredom all the time.

"What?!"

"Really??"

"No"

"That would be awesome!"

"No, no, no... Wait"

"Tobio, please," Yachi holds Kageyama's hands gently between hers. "This could be a good thing. You won't be bored sitting here all day and I won't feel guilty for making your summer a total waste".

"Ugh, Hitoka, but he's so...,"

"Hey, I'm still here".

"Look, Tobio, if you do this, I'll do whatever you want," Yachi moves her hands from Kageyama's to cup his face. She locks her eyes with his and repeats slowly "whatever you want".

Kageyama gulps loudly and turns to Hinata without breaking Yachi's eye contact "Sure, I'll help you".

"Yay! Thank you so much. You won't regret it. I learn very fast and I'll be the best student you've ever had. You're literally saving my life! Thank you! Than... Mmpf," Hinata is cut off by Kageyama's hand over his mouth.

"Ok, ok, just shut up. Only one condition," Kageyama raises a finger dangerously close to Hinata's nose and the boy nods, wide brown eyes full of joy "Burn your swimsuit".


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made some sketches for this [and I posted them on my tumblr](http://ainudraws.tumblr.com/post/143340332256/so-im-writing-a-thing-and-ive-been-sketching) and you can check them out if you want :P

"You promised. 'Whatever you want'."

Yachi can barely stand Kageyama's pleading eyes. She considers the possibility of give in and grant this to Kageyama, but she doesn't like the idea. "I know, Tobio, but...," She furrows her brows with concern.  "The last time we did it you hurt me. I'm not as experienced as you, you know? What if I broke an arm or my neck? What if I die, Tobio?" Her voice rises into the dark room.

They're lying facing each other on the bed with a cotton sheet around them. Even with the summer heat, Yachi always needs something to wrap herself in. The light from the window caresses Kageyama's bare shoulder from behind and Yachi wishes she could see the boy's expression. She's aware of her promise, but she's too scared to try it again. She knows Kageyama would never hurt her on purpose and even so... He stays quiet for a while longer. Yachi can't guess what he’s thinking and she's worried she hurt his feelings when Kageyama whispers weakly "But it's been so long..."

"I know, I know, I'm so sorry," Yachi closes the distance between them leaving a hand on Kageyama's chest and patting his hair with the other. "The doctor said you should wait to the end of the summer," Yachi knows this is torture to Kageyama, and seeing her boyfriend longing for something he can't get hurts like a knife in her chest. Blinking to get rid of the tears she kisses his lips softly, their breaths mixing as the kiss deepens. Kageyama kicks the sheets off the bed and turns to place himself on top of Yachi. "Besides, the last time we played volleyball together you served the ball to my face and I bled all over my favourite shirt and I had nightmares for a whole week."

Kageyama is running his hand up to Yachi's stomach, enjoying the warm feeling of her soft skin. He stops to meet Yachi's amused gaze. "Sorry. You're right." She's so good for him, always worrying, always taking care of him. She was the first person to break his walls, to look at him not as a volleyball nerd with no social skills but like a passionate shy boy. He's so grateful for having her. A shiver runs down his spine before saying "We can play other things if you want."

A bit more relaxed, Yachi giggles, happy to see the fast change of pace of the conversation. She presses her lips to his and says "Okay, but a quick game, you have a swimming class first thing in the morning, sir."

"Ugh"

 

* * *

 

When Hinata sits at the edge of the pool the next day, ready to take his first swimming class, Kageyama notices the big scar on his right knee. It's big and purple at the edges and Kageyama guesses it's recent by its looks. He's about to ask about it when the knee owner slips slowly into the water, murmuring 'cold, cold, cold'. The water reach Hinata's shoulders and Kageyama wants to laugh, because he's so fucking tiny when his gaze turns to Yachi, who's kneeling at the cemented rim of the pool, and he stops himself from starting to bicker again and disappoint his girlfriend.

"How do we do this?" Hinata's face is serious and determined, ready to give theone hundred percent.

"Have you ever tried to swim before?" Hinata shakes his head eagerly and Kageyama sighs for the 10th time that day, the lesson isn't even started and he already wants to die. At least Hinata's not wearing the swimsuit from hell. "Ok... Let's start by putting your head underwater. You need to get rid of your stupid fear," Hinata's eyes widens. "Don't give me that look! It's only water. You drink it and wash yourself with it every day!"

"I know but it's a lot of water together in the same spot."

"Just do it, dumbass!" Hinata shivers under Kageyama's glare.

Yachi laughs softly from the side. She empathizes with Hinata, Kageyama taught her how to swim the year before and she knows how scary Teacher-Kageyama can be. Amused by the silent gaze battle in front of her she almost can hear the boy's thoughts 'do it' 'No!' 'Do it!' 'No!!', and suddenly Hinata is sinking in the water. His orange hair disappears in slow motion under the water, followed by Yachi's surprised gaze. When he emerges again she can't stop looking. The way Hinata's hair falls heavy and darker over his eyes, like he was standing right under a waterfall, is almost magical, drops of water dancing around his head like tiny sparks reflecting the sun light. Yachi feels her cheeks burn, nothing to do with the heat of the sun rays. The ethereal sight disappears in a blink when Hinata coughs, spilling water and snot out of his nose.

"Oh my god! What happened?" Yachi asks, still a little embarrassed by her staring episode. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah... I think... So," breathing heavily Hinata wipes his face. "This idiot kicked my feet and I lost balance."

"I was trying to help you!" Kageyama feels half offended half amused. "To get rid of your fear of water."

"Well, it didn't work! I'm more afraid of water now than before!" Hinata is genuinely angry and Yachi can't help but burst into a loud laugh. Hinata's faces melts into a disconcerted look. "What...?"

"I'm sorry... Sorry... It's just...," Yachi tries to stop laughing "it's just that you look so angry, with your hair all..." She waves her hands around her head trying to mimic Hinata's drenched one "and your wrinkled nose is so... I'm sorry." The boy tilts his head and smiles shyly.

Astonished by Yachi's sudden laughter Kageyama notices an unknown pinch inside. She looks so beautiful and happy laughing so openly and blithely that he instantly realizes that this is the first time he’s seen Yachi laughing that way, and he's jealous of not being the reason of it. He shakes the feeling off of him and clears his throat before saying "Do it again, this time do it yourself."

By the end of the lesson Hinata is able to submerge his head under the water without panicking. And Yachi is grateful that the boys have survived such an intense experience.

 

* * *

 

After three days of swimming classes, Yachi finally can see some progress. But not only Hinata is improving; Kageyama's patience seems to be getting better too.

"Raise your head, dumbass!!" The shout can be heard from Yachi's spot at the other end of the pool. She smiles fondly. She has never seen Kageyama talk —or yell so much with anyone before; that should mean that he's starting to like Hinata. Despite all the arguments she's pretty happy seeing Kageyama being passionate about something else than volleyball for once. Since that accident a month ago— a new burst of shouts snaps her out of her memories of medical care and physical therapy.

The two boys are placed at the less deep end of the pool, where Hinata can easily stand without drowning. Keeping an eye on the rest of the people swimming in the pool, Yachi walks over the two bickering boys, hoping that her presence help to calm down the situation.

"Let's try again," Kageyama breaths. Why does this guy have to be so frustrating? Hinata goes into his previous position and Kageyama slips his hand under Hinata's stomach to support his weight to keep him from sinking again. "Now move your arms like you were doing before and this time don't you dare to put your face under the water." Hinata slowly starts to move his arms in a circular motion, trying to keep his face away from the surface of the water. "Now move your legs as I told you, but, for the love of god, don't kick them like you’re trying to murder the water." Following Kageyama's instructions, he begins to move his legs too. Up and down, up and down. Kageyama looks at Hinata's legs and then his arms. A tiny smile pokes in his lips, satisfied with the boy's movements. At least he has some coordination, he thinks, watching the body before him move rhythmically, back muscles dancing under the pale and freckled skin. Going stiff, Kageyama is suddenly very aware of his hand on Hinata's lower torso, and he can practically feel every movement on his palm, the way the muscles twist, the firm but soft feeling of his belly around his navel... Oh, boy.

As fast as the realization comes, Kageyama retrieves his hand, aching like a hundred volt just hit him, gasping and taking a step back. He feels more than sees the splash of the water by his side, eyes still fixed on the struggling figure in front of him trying to straighten up and pull the head off the water. He turns to leave the pool, but a hand grabs his wrist keeping him from running away. Yachi's looking at him worryingly. So she saw. He knows that she's sharp enough to understand what just happened. But what just happened? It was a completely normal relation if you're touching a stranger —well, Hinata's not a stranger any more— in such place, _right_?

"I'm starting to think that you actually are trying to kill me," Hinata is wiping the water dripping from his hair into his eyes with his hands. Kageyama can't see his face but by the ring of his voice he can tell that he's pissed. "Why don't you grab my head and shove it under the water next time, we could save a lot of time." Yes, he's pissed. "Maybe I should try to kill you inst—"

"Hinata," Yachi cuts him off gently, still holding Kageyama by the wrist "let's take a break, okay? Why don't you go to the cafeteria and buy us some iced tea?" She smiles at him and Hinata nods slowly, a little confused.

They sit close to each other in silence, waiting for Hinata to come back with the drinks. Yachi's shoulder is pressing against Kageyama's and she can feel his discomfort through the spot where their skin is touching. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"About what just happened?"

"Nothing happened, Hitoka."

Yachi turns her body and kneels in front of Kageyama, looking for his eyes before saying "you got scared, I saw it," she brings her face closer to Kageyama's, "we can talk if you want, I can wait as I always do, so don't worry. I'm here"

Kageyama wants to cry. Not even he can understand how his mind works, but there's Yachi, all kindness, willing to help him and being patient and understanding. If only he could find the right words to say...So he brings his hand to the girl's nape, feeling the softness of her hair in his palm— and he kisses her because he's not good with words but he's good with his body, maybe he can tell her all the things he wants but he can try to let her feelings slip away through his lips with the shape of a kiss. He's ready to start using his tongue when someone clears their throat near them.

"So you're together?" It sounds like a question more than a statement. Hinata stands looking at them wide eyed with three cold cans in his arms. "I didn't know that," He laughs "you two make a cute couple though! You're so small and bright," he says pointing to Yachi "and you're so tall and dark." Hinata lowers his voice to make it deeper and scarier. He finally sits, leaving the cans on the grass, giggling "Kageyama, you're so red hahaha".

"Shut up," Kageyama mumbles, hiding his face in his chest. "It's not my fault that the two of you are so tiny".

Yachi laughs at her boyfriend being cute and shy "don't tease him, Hinata, he's not a big fan of PDAs,"

Still laughing Hinata opens his iced tea can with a wince when a drop of water jumps into his eye "you're so cute, Kageyama, you remind me of my boyfriend, he doesn't like to kiss or hold hands in public," he rubs his eye and takes a sip from the dripping can.

"Boyfriend?" Yachi exclaims excited and hands Kageyama the remaining can on the grass.

"Yeah!! He's still in Tokyo, but he's moving in with me next week! I had to move here before him because of my job, but I don't mind setting things up before he comes. I'm really happy to start a new life here, and doing it with him," now Yachi and Kageyama are watching Hinata talk nonstop. "And I know I shouldn't be so excited because we've been together for a long while now, but I can't help it! It's kinda scary to move into a new place where you don't know anyone, but I can do it if he's with me. Well, I guess that I know you both now so..." He stops speaking abruptly. "Ah! Sorry for rambling about all this, I get carried away if nobody stops me," Hinata smiles shyly, rubbing the back of his head.

"No, no, don't apologize. I'm glad for you. You look so happy!" Yachi pats his back. "Right, Tobio?"

Kageyama moves his head up and down, drinking his tea and looking at them over the can. He spills some iced tea on his chest and jolts by the cold feeling, causing the rest of the liquid to slip out of the can, drenching him in sticky cold tea.

Hinata laughs so hard he falls on his back "Kageyama, I know it's hot, but you have a swimming pool right there."

"Shut up, dumbass!"

"Wait, I have a spare towel in my backpack," still laughing he reaches behind him and grabs his bag.

"Wow, Hinata, what's all that?" A bunch of books fall onto the grass while Hinata pulls out the towel. Yachi takes one of the books in her hands that almost fall from the backpack after Hinata pulls out the towel. They are all books about animals, specifically marine animals. The one in her hands is a) book with a strange animal printed on the front that looks like a really scary seal with a horn, "Narwhal, the unicorn of the sea". She says.

"Oh, sorry," Hinata starts to retrieve the fallen books after handing the towel to Kageyama. "I'm just preparing myself for the job at the aquarium." Hinata can't hide the obvious blush on his face at this point. "I went to the public library yesterday and picked some books to read."

"But, Hinata, these books are serious stuff," Yachi's pretty surprised, taking another one and reading the long title. "I mean, these books aren't for beginners..." She can't help it but let her mouth hang open. She recognises some of the book's titles from her college's library. How did he get them?

Hinata laughs again, rubbing nervously the back of his head all over again.

"Hinata, what did you say you're studying?" Yachi knows that Hinata hasn't said anything about studying anything, but she just can't believe that someone who is so interested.

Hinata goes stiff and sits even straighter, his hand stops rubbing and falls to his side in what seems to be slow motion. "Well, to be honest—" a loud ring tone cuts him in mid sentence. Hinata looks inside his backpack until he finds his cell phone. His face lights up after seeing the name showing on the screen and says "sorry, I have to take this"

Yachi follows Hinata's back with her eyes walking away while the boy brings the phone to his ear. Still in awe, she turns to her boyfriend. "Ugh, stop it you big crying baby, he was just teasing us". Kageyama is still beet red with his face down.

"But, you are the tiny ones; I'm the normal sized one here"

Shaking her head and smiling she starts to put the remaining books on the grass inside Hinata's backpack.

When Hinata comes back Yachi is standing by the side of the pool, watching two kids splashing water at each other. She looks at her purple waterproof watch and grins; ten more minutes and her shift is over. Today she feels really tired, even if nothing happened and she didn't have to save anyone from drowning. The sun can be tiring. All she wants is to go home and watch the TV, curled against Kageyama feeling the nice breeze of the fan and fall asleep after eating a ton of pancakes for dinner. Maybe she can even invite Hinata over and make him try her new and improved  French fries pizza. She spots said boy walking towards the lying down figure of Kageyama and she turns to meet them to talk about her plans for the afternoon with them but she stops her train of thought when she sees the frown on Hinata's face. It's subtle; almost a shy wrinkle between Hinata's brows, but it's there.

"My shift is almost over," she blurts out before she can think what's she even saying.

Hinata smiles at her but it doesn’t reach his eyes as it always does and Yachi can't do anything but worry, because Hinata's eyes seems to be made for grinning along with his lips, but at this moment they don’t follow. Something happened, but she's not going to ask, because she knows better than that so she just offers the one thing she can do to help for now.

"We can drive you home if you want," Yachi wants to kick Kageyama's legs, how can he be lying there like nothing's happening?

Hinata just nods, his fake smile still darkening his usually bright expression.

When Hinata doesn't go to the pool the next day nor the day after that one she _definitely_ knows something bad happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao
> 
> Thanks for the nice comments <3 and sorry for messing things up.

"Stop pacing," Kageyama is sitting on the couch with his knees up to his chest, watching Yachi walk from the bedroom to the kitchen nervously, mumbling under her breath incessantly, and even if he can't understand what's she's saying, he can imagine it. "You're making me nervous. It's your day off, just sit and relax a bit."

"Two days, Tobio.  _Two days,_ " Yachi stops walking but starts to move her hands frantically. "He didn't even answer his phone. Aren't you worried? Why aren't you worried?" She regrets her bitter tone the exact moment the words leave her lips. She looks at the floor, ashamed. "Sorry—"

"I am," Kageyama stands and approaches his tiny shaking girlfriend and hugs her. "I care. I'm not a fucking robot even if sometimes I do act like one," despite his mocking words his voice is soft  but serious, caressing Yachi's ear and making her smile in his shoulder at the comparison.

They stay like that a few minutes, Yachi biting her lip and Kageyama just being awkward.

"Do you remember where he lives?" Yachi takes a step back to look him in the face.

"Yeah, let's go".

 

* * *

 

The building where Hinata lives is one of the smallest in the area near the port and the aquarium — where Hinata told them he is working. It's a little bit far from his house but Kageyama remembers the way perfectly and drives them there without hesitation. Kageyama wrinkles his nose at the sight; it's not the nicest place in the city in his opinion.

They're standing in front of the door, looking at the buttons of the buzzer as if they were a three headed dog guarding the doors of the underworld. Their plan has holes and they came without any bucket.

"Which one is it?" Yachi panics, her voice higher than normal.

"This one," Kageyama raise a finger to press one of the twenty buttons but Yachi stops him.

"Wait, how do you know?"

"I don't,"

"Then don't press it!" Yachi shakes Kageyama's arm almost hysterically. "What if whoever lives there gets angry and throws us a pot from the window? We can't do that!"

"It was your idea," Kageyama answers with a poker face. "You were worried and—"

"You were worried too!! You robot!"

"Not as worried as you."

"Yes you were, you're such a tsundere," Yachi narrows her eyes. If looks could kill, Yachi's would only scratch. Kageyama's poker face breaks, being replace by a blush. "So, what do we do?"

"We pick a button, we press it and we ask for Hinata until somebody tell us where he lives" Kageyama shrugs his shoulders with indifference.

"I told you we can't do—"

"What are you guys doing here?" The voice is a little cracked and shaky but Yachi recognises it before turning to look directly to Hinata, who is standing before them with a grocery bag in one hand and a large book in the other. He looks the same as always. Not injured, not dead.  _He seems to be ok_ , Yachi sighs in relief. There is a limited number of 'worst case scenarios' you can imagine in 48 hours before going nuts. And Yachi surpassed it by far. "So? What are you doing here?" Hinata asks again, after a long silence.

The couple feels like a blinded deer about to be rolled over by a truck. They stare at the boy, still waiting for an answer.

"I— we came to see you," Yachi tries to talk with a steady voice, wanting to sound more confident than how she really feels. "You didn't come to the pool the last two days and—" 

"I've been busy" Hinata cuts off, frowning. Yachi stares at him, a little startled. 

"We came to see you if you were ok, and now that we have proof that you're not dead we can go back home. Let's go, Hitoka," Kageyama holds Yachi by the elbow and the couple turns around, ready to go back to the car when Hinata calls them with a overly energetic shout.

"WAIT! Wait." He lowers his voice, but only a little. It's not like he can be low. Ever. "I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't expect you to come here, is all. What about if we talk inside, huh?" He pulls out a key from his pocket and opens the door.

If Kageyama thought he didn't like the looks of the building on the outside it’s because he hasn't been inside. They walk through a tight and lugubrious hall and Kageyama starts to feel a little claustrophobic; the walls look like recently painted, but the thick smell and humidity makes him feel like he is inside an abandoned house, even if he can hear the lively noises of Hinata's neighbours. They stop in front of a yellow door that stands out in the middle of the hallway like an oasis in the middle of the desert. The paint is falling at some places, showing the previous brownish colour.

When Hinata opens the door they step inside of what looks like a dark cave. The smell is gone but the dismal feeling stays. He hears a  _click_  sound from his right, followed by a ' _fuck_ '. He watches Hinata entering into the room, and dragging what Kageyama supposes is a chair to the middle of the space and climbs onto it, reaching out for something above his head. They're blinded by the sudden brightness, and when Kageyama's eyes adjust again to the light he looks curiously around him. The place is really clean, walls and floors look like new... And that's all. There isn't even a single piece of real furniture in the room — if you don't count the garden table and the plastic chair, now placed below a lonely light bulb attached to a thick wire hanging from the ceiling, swinging and making the shadows dance around them.

"What the actual fuck?" Kageyama can't believe what he is seeing. Is he really living here? Yachi's mouth is hanging open, stunned, and Hinata is looking at his feet like they were hiding the meaning of life. "Care to explain?" Kageyama is exasperated by the silence in the room.

"I— I'm going to put this into the fridge," and with that, Hinata picks up the bag at his feet and walks into the kitchen through the door on their left.

Kageyama is still in shock when he turns to Yachi. "Don't freak out, Tobio, he'll explain... This. And if he doesn't want to we can't do anything"

Despite his inner self screaming and demanding to grab that dumbass by the shoulders and shake the life out of him he follows Yachi in silence and helps her to open the curtains to let the light of the sun illuminate the room. Then they sit on the floor crossing their legs and resting their backs on the wall.

When Hinata comes back he offers them two cans of iced tea, his hands are slightly shaking, and he sits on his knees in front of the couple.

"Before I explain anything... I'm not some kind of homeless person or anything!! I swear!" He sighs. "It's just— All my things are still at my old apartment. My boyfriend was going to move in but he called two days ago to tell me that he still can't leave our old place; I think he said he has problems with the landlord? I wasn't quite listening" Hinata clenches his firsts and frowns; he blinks several times and lowers his head to look at his entwined hands. After a few seconds he seems to remember that he's having a conversation so he clears his throat and says, "So I have to wait for another week," he lifts his face and smiles weakly, "it's just a week, right?" He is trying to reassure them— and himself. But he doesn't sound convincing at all.

"But you can't live like this. You don't have a bed—" Kageyama is still in denial.

"I do have a bed... Kind of!" 

"— you don't have a couch—"

"I can perfectly sit on that chair,"

"—you don't even have a TV!"

"I— I don't— Look, it  _is_  true that my luck is nonexistent lately, that I've been stuck in an empty house for a while and that I may or may not have developed the strange habit to talk to myself all the time...  _But!_ It's all temporary. My boyfriend will move in with all our shit, I will—"

"How long?" Kageyama interrupts shortly.

"Tobio..." Yachi warns him.

"How long what?"

"How long have you been living here?"

"Umh..." Hinata takes a second to mentally count the days and touches his chin a couple of times with his index finger. "A little more than two weeks."

Kageyama grunts, lifts his hand up and scrubs angrily at his face. Yachi can see the annoyance building up in her boyfriend's shoulders; she also can see Hinata's discomfort. Yachi knows Kageyama isn't really mad at Hinata at all. He's just mad. Mad at this whole situation. It isn't uncommon for Kageyama to be this upset about little things, especially when the thing in question affect someone he cares for. That's why she decides to stop the discussion before it's too late and someone chops the other's head off.

"I have a great idea! Why don't we go back home, the three of us, and watch a movie together?" She claps happily before landing her hands on the boy's ones. "We can buy snacks on our way. But I get to pick the movie, so no more bickering." 

"A movie? On a real tv?" Hinata whispers wistfully with glassed eyes.

Kageyama seems to relax a bit and Yachi sighs in relief internally, suddenly feeling capable of anything, like soothing Kageyama were a superpower that only she possesses. Without hesitation she stands up and waves at them, encouraging them to stand up too and follow her. "Come on, it'll be fun".

 

* * *

 

The heat inside Kageyama's car is almost deadly and Yachi feels like slowly melting into a bloody and sticky human puddle.  _God, why is Kageyama taking so long?_  He just has to buy some chips and popcorn and gummy bears.  _Come on, Tobio_ .

"I don't care about what Tobio said, I'm going to turn on the air conditioner," She presses the button with more strength than necessary and sits back again on the passenger's seat with an angry sigh.

Hinata hums distractedly in agreement from the back seats, looking outside the window lost in his thoughts. When you have become accustomed to the company of someone with a ten thousand sunrises personality and you see them all gloomy and dead-fish eyed you can't help but feel like the monsoon season just arrived to your town for staying. That's why Yachi is so upset. She turns into the seat to face the absent minded Hinata before saying:

"I'm sorry for what happened before. It's none of our business; we shouldn't have reacted that way."

"No, no, it's fine," Hinata slowly detaches his gaze from whatever he was looking at in the distance to fix his eyes on the worried looking girl. "It's fine..." He repeats. "It's just that I feel so... Ugh, frustrated. This is the third time he’s called to say that he's still not coming! And all this was his idea! He was the one who got  _that great job_  here; he was the one who rented the apartment... But now..." Hinata rubs his eyes furiously. "He'll come. He will come and—"

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."

"I want to! I really want, but it's not a big deal," Hinata shrugs, "Long story short I met him in my first year of college and we connected really quickly. He helped me a lot when I went through some stuff; he took me in when I didn't have anywhere else to go and when he asked me to move in here with him I said yes immediately."

"But is he good with you?" 

"Of course he is!" Hinata laughs shaking his shoulders, "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, you're here, he is still there and—"

The door of the car opens and a hand holding a grocery bags suddenly appears. Yachi takes the bag and takes a peek at the contents while Kageyama sits on the driver’s seat.

"Unbelievable!" Yachi exclaims indignantly and groans loudly letting the bad fall onto her knees.

"What?" Kageyama and Hinata ask at the same time. Hinata leans toward the front seats to look at whatever is inside the bag.

"Again? Tobio!! Ugh."

Hinata takes what seems to be 6 mini cartons of milk out of the bag. "What's all this? Didn't you buy the snacks?" And then he takes out another 6 pack of milk cartons.

"Go and buy  _real snacks_  this time and don't you dare to come back with more milk." 

Kageyama murmurs an apology and gets out of the car with his head low like a kicked puppy.

"Does he usually do this?"

Yachi rolls her eyes exasperatedly. "All the time".

 

* * *

 

"Okay!" Yachi stands proudly with her hands on her hips in front of the embarrassing display of junk food settled on the small coffee table. 4 different flavoured chips bowls, one big bag of gummy bears patiently separated by colour because Hinata only eats  _the green and red ones, the others are disgusting_ , 3 cans of fruit drops and 12 milk cartons with pink straws. "Are we ready? Yes?"

"For tomorrow's diarrhea? Yeah, sure," Kageyama mutters, displeased by the low popularity of his snack choice.

Hinata is bouncing in the middle of the tiny couch, already high on sugar thanks to all the candy he ate in the car. "Yay!" He shouts and jumps at the same time hitting Kageyama's arm on the way. 

"Watch it, dumbass, you're going to spill my milk."

"Who cares?" Hinata asks a little too loud and a little too close to Kageyama's face. "You have like two hundred more."

"Hey, shut it, the movie is starting," Yachi turns off the lights and runs to her spot next to Hinata, wiggling in excitement.

"Are we going to need the tissues as always?" Kageyama asks from the other side of Hinata.

"No, I picked a happy movie this time! It has puppies! "

"Puppies!" Hinata gasps in excitement.

"Yes! We're here to cheer you up and puppies are the best medicine"

"I love puppies," Hinata fixes his eyes on the tv screen and grabs a bunch of green gummy bears from the bowl.

 

* * *

 

"Oh my god" Yachi whines. "Do you want a tissue, Hinata?" she wipes her nose loudly.

"I'm not crying, I'm too manly for this shit," his voice sounds muffled by the fabric of Kageyama's t-shirt where he is hiding his face. The boy chokes an undignified sob and buries his face a little more in the shirt.

"I'm so... So... Sorry," Yachi says between sobs "I didn't— I didn't know the dog dies at the end."

"You're dirtying... my shirt," Kageyama complains, sniffing weakly.

"Kageyama, are you crying?" Hinata lifts his head leaving a puddle of tears and snot behind him and looks, astonished but amused, at the other boy, who tries to hide his tears turning his face to the wall.

"No."

"You  _are_ crying," Yachi declare _s_ with a smile, her own tears forgotten.

"No."

"Aw, Tobio, you liked the dog, didn't you?"

"No. Shut up."

"Here, take a tissue," Yachi offers the box to Kageyama, who grabs one of them quickly and rubs his nose.

Hinata starts laughing so hard he falls from the couch and rolls onto the floor. He only stops when his phone starts buzzing with new messages.

Wiping her now happy tears, Yachi sits next to her boyfriend to press a quick peck to his lips and hugs him, trying to avoid the dirty spot on his shirt. "You loved the dog." And Kageyama nods closing his eyes as a pray(er) for the poor dog's soul. 

With a jump, Hinata settles down again taking Yachi's previous spot, looking through his unread messages with a big grin on his face. Looking over her shoulder Yachi glances over Hinata's phone screen and she sees the picture he is smiling at.

"Wow, who's she? She looks like you. A lot."

"She's my little sister, Natsu," he shoves the phone over her face energetically, obviously he's pretty proud of his sister and wants to show off. "She's cute, right? She looks like me a lot, that's why she's cute," he adds smirking, "my mom just send me this picture, it's been a while since the last time I saw her. She's so big now, her hair is longer."

"Why is that?" Yachi asks. Kageyama leans against Yachi to take a better look of the picture, smiling a little at the resemblance between the two siblings.

"Two years ago my mom got married again and she moved to London with her new husband and Natsu. I was starting my classes at the university thanks to a scholarship at that moment so we decided that I would stay here until I finish my studies." He smiles again, and even though it's smaller, the grin is as sincere as always. "Look! Here's another one of the two of us!"

The picture on the screen shows four people standing in front of the doors of a karaoke bar. In the middle, the two redheaded figures are easily recognisable. The shortest one is, obviously, Natsu. She looks younger than on the other picture, but the bright smile and the pig tails are the same. Hinata looks exactly the same, and looking at the horrendous shirt he's wearing on the picture he can also tell that his taste in fashion hasn't changed either. But Kageyama isn't paying attention to any of that, what he's looking at are the two entwined hands of Hinata and the tall brown haired boy with the sly smile on his face. His heart throbs while his eyes widen.

"Oh, you two look so cute! You should wear pig tails like her, Hinata," Yachi teases, completely oblivious to Kageyama's reaction. "Oh my— who's this boy you’re holding hands with?" Yachi's smile is so bright that it can compete with one of Hinata's. "Is he— is he your boyfriend?" 

Hinata laughs at Yachi, who is so excited that she’s starting to vibrate above the cushions of the couch. "Yeah, he is," Hinata stares at the screen fondly for a few seconds, "his name is Tooru, Oikawa Toor— fuck! Look at the time, fuck. I have to go, tomorrow is my first day at the aquarium!" He stands abruptly and quickly grabs his backpack lying on the floor and heads to the door.

At this point, Kageyama has stopped breathing. If he had any doubts they are gone by now. No, he has no doubt after hearing that name. A name that echoes in his mind loudly even after Hinata leaves Yachi's apartment. 

Oikawa Tooru is Hinata's boyfriend?

 

 _Oikawa Tooru_.

  
_Fuck_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew [another thing](http://ainudraws.tumblr.com/post/143746690771/hi-there-im-in-kagehinayachi-hell-come-join) because i love this story so much! :) and[made a video too](http://ainudraws.tumblr.com/post/143750218901/the-making-of-i-like-this-song-a-lot-its)
> 
> I hope you're enjoying this as much as i do, man, i never thought this would be this fun xD

"...bio"

It can't be. No, it can't. It's too much coincidence. But the picture... It was him on it. It was Oikawa Tooru in that picture. Holding hands with Hinata. Holding hands. No. It can't be. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_.

"...bio"

Maybe he heard wrong and that name never left Hinata's lips. That must be it. Hinata said any other name and his brain changed it. Stupid useless brain. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_.

"...bio, please, answer me," Yachi pleads, kneeling in front of his curled figure on her couch, where just minutes ago they had been laughing happily. Kageyama's unfocused eyes are fixed to some point over Yachi's right shoulder. "Tobio," she repeats, louder and steadier. Kageyama likes to hear his name on his girlfriend lips; the relaxing effect of her voice calling him over and over again fascinates him. She has learned what to do and how to help him when he's having a difficult time, and he's sure that she would have learned it even if he wasn't her boyfriend and only her friend because she is that kind of a person. He thanks the gods again for having Yachi by his side, he loves her so much. "Tobio, are you ok?"

"No— yes," Kageyama shakes his head trying to settle his thoughts, swinging between Yachi and his love for her and the painful memories  of Oikawa. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Thank you for helping me." As he raises his hands to Yachi's face he realises that they're shaking; though he's not surprised, he feels disgusted by the treason of his own body. After all these years, that name, that guy, still repulses him, and because of this he hates himself a little.

Gulping down the lump in his throat he blinks several times before hugging Yachi firmly, noticing that his hands have finally stopped shaking and that he's gaining control over his thoughts and body again.

"You know that guy?" It's more an statement than a question. God, why is she so sharp? "Who is he?" Despite having her head practically embedded in his chest and not having room to breathe, Yachi  manages to ask the only thing Kageyama doesn't want to talk about. _No_ , he wants to say, _no, one thousand times no_. What Kageyama wants to do more than anything in this world is to run back to his dorm and lock himself in for a week, to drink directly from a bottle to the point of passing out. But, after all, he doesn't deal with shit like that anymore and the last thing he wants is to disappoint Yachi. Truth be told, he doesn't want to disappoint himself either.

"He... We went to the same high school together," he says with a voice that, to his ears, doesn't like his usual self. Yachi wiggles in his arms and he lets her go and they sit face to face on the couch.

"So you know him well."

"You could say so, but, honestly, everyone in the school knew him, even in other schools..." Kageyama licks his lips, his throat dry. "He was kind of famous."

"Famous? Like an idol or something?" Yachi tilts her head confused.

"No, he played volleyball, he—," Kageyama rubs his face frustrated, not knowing how to explain it to Yachi. "He was pretty popular with the girls, boys, teachers, everyone loved him, he knew how to be charming enough to gain your sympathy and other things..."

"What other things?" Poor innocent Yachi. Kageyama gives her a pointed look and she suddenly understands. "Oh— oh, okay. Continue, please."

Kageyama cracks a smile, slightly shaking his head before continuing. "Oikawa's most powerful weapon is his facade, he will show you his best side when he wants something from you, and his worst if you cross his path in a bad way. He is so self-centred that he's never satisfied with what he has"

"I'm not following."

"He's a cheater, Hitoka!" Kageyama snaps, tired of the conversation, frustrated by his narrative ineptitude. Yachi gasps and covers her mouth with her hands and widens her eyes to the point of almost popping out of her face. "At the end of his third year there were all kind of weird and eerie rumours but I only was a first year, I didn't want to believe the stories about my cool and _awesome_ teammate."

"How do know that the rumours were true, then?" Yachi asks, closing the distance between them. A heavy silence falls on them like a thick shawl of dark truth. "Tobio, how do—," Yachi begins to ask again, but Kageyama abruptly stands, turning his back quickly to Yachi. To hide his face to his girlfriend is his main priority, he knows she can read him like an open book. As much as he loves Yachi, her ability to understand him can be a curse sometimes.

"I'm going to sleep at my place today," he says plainly. "Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and it's closer to my dorm, so...". The boy knows it's a really pathetic excuse, he knows that Yachi knows it too but above all he is sure that she understands even if he isn't capable of giving her an explanation. His stomach has disappeared, replaced by a huge rock, and he feels heavy and tired as he walks towards the door of Yachi's apartment. A hand grabs his shirt from behind, a head presses between his shoulder blades and he feels the vibrations of Yachi's voice in his whole body when she says:

"I'm here, you know it, right? Don't do anything stupid, come to me first, okay?" A pair of arms hug him by the waist tightly and he feels like he can lose himself in the warm feeling of Yachi's small body glued to his back. "I love you," she whispers "I love you, I love you," her voice almost as quiet as a thought.

He nods, what else can he do when an invisible hand is strangling him and leaving his brain lacking oxygen? His mind is lurching in the middle of a whirlwind of dread, shame, and love.

 

* * *

 

Yachi presses the end button for tenth time exasperatedly. Where the hell is Tobio? Her shift is about to end and she still hasn't heard from him. She clicks her tongue and looks at her watch when her phone starts buzzing.

"Tobio!"

" _I guess I'm not who you're expecting_ ," a familiar voice laughs at the other end of the line.

"Ah! Hi, Hinata, sorry! I thought you were—,"

" _Kageyama, yeah, I know. So, you guys wanna hang out? My first day has been awesome~ and I want to celebrate with ice cream, my treat_."

Yachi looks at her watch again "my shift ends in five minutes, let me change clothes and I could be at the aquarium in half an hour." She is still worried about Kageyama.

When Hinata sees her walking towards the stairs where he's sitting he lifts a questioning brow at her. "Where's Kageyama? I thought we were going to celebrate. The three of us!" The white shirt and blue capris he's wearing have the aquarium logo embroidered on them, so Yachi assumes it's his work uniform.

"He had things to do this morning, I guess he's still busy," Yachi can't help but knit her brows together.

"Hey, don't worry. Kageyama is a big boy now, I'm sure he can take care of himself." Hinata grins as he stands from his improvised seat. "Let's go to the pier, there's an awesome ice cream place there, you'll see your worries melted away on top of a cone," he adds with a mock theatrical voice.

Beaming back in delight she entwines her arm with Hinata's and nods happily. It's easier to follow Hinata's steps, being their heigh difference not as large as with Kageyama.

The awesome ice cream place turns to be a really small shop near the docks. They buy their ice creams and walk to the beach with their shoes in one hand and the cone in the other. Yachi wiggles her toes in the sand playfully when they sit by a huge rock, which shadow spreads on the sand, making the spot perfect to hide from the afternoon sun rays.

"This ice cream is so good," she says liking the corner of her mouth where a bit of cream is trying to get away from her tongue. "How did you find that shop? I've been living here for the past 2 years and I've never seen it before."

"The first week I spent here was... Lonely," Hinata says with a grimace, "so I used to wander around the city a lot."

Yachi pouts and leans against Hinata's shoulder, shoving him gently as an understanding gesture of affection. Then they fall into a comfortable silence, watching the waves dance with the sand, pulling and pushing the little grains constantly. Yachi takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, felling the peacefulness of the moment running under her skin like a light breeze. And she smiles. She smiles at the simplicity of the quiet feeling and how big it feels inside her chest. When she turns her head she catches Hinata staring at her with those big brown eyes, face slightly pink and lips parted, as if he was going to say something. But no sound comes out and he just snaps his head to his left. Yachi widens her smile and her eyes slide to the spot where their shoulders are still touching.

"You know? Tobio brought me to this same spot when we had our first date." Hinata chokes and turns his head to look at her again, cheeks even redder. She eats the last bit of the wafer and chews it slowly. "But he didn't treated me to ice cream, he bought a giant box of—"

"Don't tell me. Milk!" Hinata cuts off bursting into a loud laughter, licking the rest of the ice cream off of his fingers.

"Yeah!" Yachi laughs and bends down with her arms around her stomach.

"I'm not surprised."

Yachi wipes a single tear from her eye, still holding her stomach. "We met in our first year of college. I found him in the library, buried under a mountain of books, muttering  and talking to himself." Yachi laughs again at the memory. "He was so lost, his grades were terrible, so I offered to tutor him." Hinata watches her with an unreadable expression and nods to encourage her to keep going and Yachi's smile fades a little. She is used to knowing what Kageyama is thinking when they talk so, some times, she feels a little insecure talking to Hinata. "After months of study sessions and awkward attempts at flirting I asked him on a date. The funny thing is that he didn't answer, he just kissed me like he had been holding back from the very first day we met." Yachi feels her face growing hot, not really understanding why she's telling all this to Hinata.

"You two are so cute together," Hinata grins bright at her, pressing his shoulder a little more against the point they're touching. Yachi smiles shyly and lowers her head embarrassed.

The sun is setting by the time they say their goodbyes. Yachi's mind goes back to its previous state of concern as she walks back to her apartment. She presses the call button again at the same time she looks for her keys in the small pocket of her backpack. When a voice announces that the line is occupied she clicks her tongue and pushes the door of her home open. She freezes when she sees the lights on and hears voices coming from the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

After only 3 hours of sleep and two ibuprofens in order to kill this inhuman headache, Kageyama isn't ready to face the doctor's huge scolding.

"Kageyama, you can't keep ignoring my recommendations. You must stop being so irresponsible. We talked about this! Read the physical therapist's report, for gods sake..." Kageyama has never seen his doctor so mad at him before and shame creeps up his neck, making him blush. "I'm going to make this clear for you to understand: keep forcing your shoulder, keep missing the P.T. sessions and you won't play volleyball again." Kageyama's hands curls into angry fists resting on his knees. Though his instincts are telling him to yell back he shuts his mouth; he deserves every single word thrown at him. "If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for your girlfriend —you're still together, right? I don't understand how she stands such a stubborn kid like you," the doctor sighs and she reclines back on her chair. "Get out of here. See you next month, Kageyama".

Still shaking, Kageyama leaves the building as fast as his legs allow him without running. He dreads the moment Yachi will ask him about how this appointment went. With his mind running a mile per second he wanders the streets, not paying real attention to anything around him. His thoughts jump from his disastrous doctor's appointment to Yachi and her hug the night before, from Hinata and his cheerful smile to Oikawa. The boy keeps walking without noticing the sun sinking in the horizon, squeezing his brains trying to find a solution for everything, because he needs to do something, anything. Kageyama stops his steps when he realises that he's standing in front of the aquarium, now closed for the day. Thanks to the long summer days there's still light in the sky, but he guesses it must be late. With an idea forming in his mind he turns around and heads to Yachi's apartment.

The lights of Yachi's home are off, so the girl must be out somewhere. Using his spare key, Kageyama goes inside and sits on one of the kitchen chairs, leaving his phone on the table, not feeling like touching it with his slippery and sweaty hands. With a shaky finger he scrolls through his contacts, looking for the only person he knows will have Oikawa's number. He waits for what seems like forever, drumming his fingers on the table and turning the speaker on until a husky voice voice answers.

" _Kageyama?_ "

"Iwaizumi," He greets.

" _What the hell? Why are you calling me?_ " The voice at the other side of the line crisps in anger.

"I need a favour, Iwaizumi-san," Kageyama tries to soothe his old teammate, lowering his voice.

" _You shouldn't have called me_ ," Kageyama isn't sure but he thinks he heard a voice in the background asking something.

"I didn't want to disturb you but I really need something from you." Now he is sure, Iwaizumi isn't alone. The worst part is that he recognises the voice, how to forget that voice? A strange muffled sound comes from the speaker and then silence. Kageyama can feel his own sweat dripping down his back and his hands, cold and wet, start to tremble.

" _Hi, Tobio-chan_!"

"Oikawa," Kageyama isn't ready for this. He called Iwaizumi in order to get Oikawa's number, sure, but he just isn't mentally prepared.

" _It's been a long time since the last time we spoke; two, three years? How are you? Still lonely and pathetic?_ " Kageyama can practically hear the stupid smirk in Oikawa's voice, and he's grateful for not being talking to him face to face. Kageyama gulps. He want this to be quick and the as least painful as possible.

"I was looking for you."

" _Aw, Tobio, you missed me that much? I'm sorry to tell you that I don't_ do _people like you anymore_ ." Kageyama grimaces at Oikawa's words. _To the point_ , he has to go direct to the point, hangup and then go on with his life.

"Hi— Hinata," he bursts out. _Great job_.

" _Huh? Who? Hina...? Oh! Sho-chan! Short, loud, great ass? Yeah, I know Sho-chan, I know him well. Oh, wait, you can't see me wink. I'm winking, for your information_ ." Loud screeches of laughter leaves the speakers of the phone. " _Why are you asking me about him?_ "

"I want you to stop messing with him. Whatever your doing, just stop."

" _Ugh, believe me, I've been trying for months, but the stupid kid just doesn't get it. I shouldn't have let him move in with me when he lost his scholarship, but, what can I say, I have a very charitable heart and I couldn't leave him to live in the streets_ ." Oikawa sounds annoyed. " _All day crying and clinging on me_."

"I don't understand," Kageyama is confused, this is not how he was expecting this conversation to be. "What do you mean? You broke up with him?"

" _No I didn't, it would have been... Problematic. I just made him move out to another city to make my point clear. Problem solved_."

A loud gasp makes Kageyama's head to turn to the kitchen's door. _Fuck_. Yachi, with a horrified face and a hand over her mouth, is standing there, looking at him shaking her head. Kageyama blinks, not sure if he can believe what he just heard. His stomach starts to twist in disgust and his sight blurs a little. In the end he believes it, it's Oikawa, after all.

"You have to call him," his voice sounding calmer than he feels on the inside. "You're going to call him and end things with him if that's what you want."

Oikawa laughs again. When he speaks again he sounds pissed, his voice a low grunt. " _Why do you even care, Tobio? Do you want to fuck him, perhaps? He's an easy prey, you wouldn't have to bother me with this shit to stick your dick in him. Do it, I don't care_."

"What the fu— Oikawa, WHAT THE FUCK!" Kageyama slams his hands on the table, making the phone jump over the wooden surface. He's breathing heavily and then he can't hold back anymore. "You piece of shit, you're going to call him, end this crap and if you don't I swear I'm going to beat the shit out of you. I did it once and I can do it again." Kageyama is shaking uncontrollably at this point, eyes unfocussed staring down at the phone and fists pressed against the table.

" _I'm not scared of y—_ " sounds of what seems like a fight cut Oikawa's sentence off. A muffled wrestling can be heard through the phone and then another voice speaks.

" _I'll make him do it_ ," Iwaizumi is pissed too. An 'aw, Iwa-chan, I just was having some fun' sounds in the background. " _Take care, Kageyama,_ " and he hangs up.

The boy lets his weight fall on the chair again with a heavy sigh and then he buries his head in his hands. He doesn't pay attention to Yachi's gentle arms around him nor her soft voice mumbling in his ear. He lets a sob leave his throat and he decides that a single tear is all Oikawa will get from him. No more. Lifting his head he stares at Yachi, sitting by his side with her face tear stained and lips trembling.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you."

"It's okay," she comes closer and seals their lips together with force. It's done. Now things will be ok. He smiles into the kiss.

 

_Right?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter ready :)  
> idkw this chapter was really hard to write :0  
> I hope you enjoy it!

After what felt like hours sitting on the kitchen chairs hugging a shaking Kageyama, Yachi manages to drag her boyfriend to the bedroom. She doesn't even try to make him eat dinner, looking at his semi catatonic state she sighs and feels satisfied making him, at least, brush his teeth before pulling off his clothes and pushing him onto the bed.

She turns on the ceiling fan, hoping that the breeze will help them to fall asleep faster. God, is too hot, she almost wants to scream at the summer to go away soon. She wipes her forehead and climbs onto the bed, lying next to Kageyama's warm —too warm— body. Her hand gropes for the boy's hand in the dark and then she let her finger wander over his skin until she reaches his chest, making him shudder at the contact.

"I'm sorry," he whispers suddenly. 

"Why are you sorry?" She comes closer, her lips  longing for Kageyama's skin.

"Everything?" Kageyama is not sure, he has made so many mistakes in one day that he doesn't know where to start. The doctor's appointment? Hiding things from Yachi? Making the most stupid phone call of his life? "I should have told you about Oikawa earlier."

"You don't have to tell me things if you aren't ready, you know?" Yachi says, her lips still caressing Kageyama's arm, shoulder and, finally, neck.

Kageyama turns his head a little, just enough to make room for her gentle attentions. "I know I don't  _have_  to, but I  _want_ to. It's just—" he groans in frustration.

"Do you think Oikawa will call Hinata?"

"I don't trust Oikawa to do it, but I do trust Iwaizumi, so, yes, he will call Hinata." The silence falls on them, wondering how that phone call will affect their friend. The last thing Kageyama wants is to make him suffer, but, at the end, this is the best for Hinata, he thinks, it was the best for him anyway. 

The hot room becomes darker by the minute and Yachi's small body pressed against his is making him sweaty and uncomfortable but he doesn't want her anywhere else but lying by his side, walking with him, holding his hand, together. That last night he spent sleeping —barely sleeping— on his own bed inside the college's dorms felt unnatural; being without her warming him from the inside and guarding his sleep. He is about to ask if she's already asleep when she says with a weak whisper:

"I care about him."

For once, Kageyama understands. That unfamiliar feeling that has been growing inside him, like the tiny tickle you feel when a droplet runs down your back. Yes, he understands, but he doesn't respond with words; only a small 'hum' leaves his lips.

"Do you think he..." Yachi doesn't finish the question and hides her face into Kageyama's neck inhaling deeply.

"What?"

She shakes her head a little, "never mind," she murmurs.

"Hey, look at me," he says, knowing that they can't really look at each other's face he turns to her silhouette curled almost on top of him and he intuits —rather than sees— Yachi's worried face. "It's useless saying this to you, but, don't worry. We're ok, everything is going to be ok, Hinata will be ok". At those words Yachi curls and climbs a little bit more onto Kageyama. "Wanna cuddle a little bit?"

"No," she says with an estranged, winded voice.

Playful lips slam against Kageyama's, who can't refrain from smiling a little bit more than usual at the small Yachi's eagerness. Moving his tongue, trying to follow his girlfriend's pace Kageyama raises his hands and buries them into her silken hair. He whines half because he wanted to know what Yachi was trying to say, half because now Yachi is biting his neck and, fuck, it feels  _good_. 

Kageyama jolts and shivers at the electric feeling of Yachi's hand slipping under his underwear. His back arches when her small and slender fingers wraps around his already hard dick — _already_ , _really?—_  and gasps before bitting his lower lip.

Sure thing is that they have pretty good sex; Kageyama is secretly proud about the fact that he is the cause of all her sexy, hot and loud noises. Even their first time together, despite Yachi being his first girl, the night was, in Kageyama's opinion,  _mind blowing_. But this time, with Yachi waving her hips in that sensual way she has mastered since they started their relationship, it feels different. Kageyama wants to blame today's unsettling events. When they lie again on the bed, sweating, panting and utterly satisfied he can't deny that something was different and, not wanting to acknowledge the unusual feeling, he holds the tiny hand still placed on his chest and slides his eyes closed hoping for the feeling to vanish by the time he wakes up.

 

* * *

 

Ash grey clouds are covering the sky, making it look like a dirty, heavy ceiling that you can almost touch with your fingers. The oppressive  atmosphere stringing along with the clouds is making Kageyama uncomfortable. His shoulder is starting to hurt due to the ugly weather and the dark water of the pool, mirroring the sky, is too unwelcoming to swim in. He scrunches up his nose as he breaths, smelling the electricity in the air, first symptom of a impending storm.

Standing at the brim of the pool Kageyama squeezes his shoulder gently. Of course, he had to tell Yachi earlier that morning about his conversation with the doctor, and, of course, he earned another scolding from his little girlfriend; too much yelling coming out from such a small body.

In order to make Yachi happy —not that he's scared of her or anything, last night, he made the promise to look for the paper sheet the physical therapist gave him with a list of exercises to do at home and try some of them in the pool under Yachi's supervision. But looking again at the dark blue-greenish water before him, all he can think about is dirty rivers infested with piranhas. Kageyama pulls a disgusted face and looks around, spotting the blonde girl not far from him, helping an old lady to climb up the stairs to come out of the water.

Besides the old lady and her grandson sitting on a towel spread on the grass the pool is as deserted as a school during summer vacation, which is ironic, any swimming pool should be cramped in summer. Sighing, he looks at Yachi again; she's picking her things, pushing them into her bag and talking with another man wearing the same ' _lifeguard_ ' t-shirt as her. Thank god her shift is about to end, and they can, finally, run away from the scary looking water, the depressive weather and take shelter in Yachi's apartment. Hinata's name pop ups in his mind, yes, he could invite him too, they could watch a movie together while the storm passes over the city, they could play some games on Yachi's Wii, they could— his train of thought wrecks when a blur of orange distracts him. He has to double check, because he cannot believe the scene he's witnessing; Hinata, wearing the most ridiculous and hilarious fish-shaped hat, white shirt, and vibrant blue capris is running towards him from the entrance door next to the public locker room and Kageyama is going to snort, even laugh, at the extravagant uniform when he catches Hinata's expression. To say that the short boy seems  _mad_ would be a lie. The terrifying looks he's wearing matches the raw scream full of rage that is coming out of his mouth:

"KAAAAGEYAAAMAAA!"

It's odd that the only response his brain can think of is to yell back 'stop running near the water, idiot, it's dangerous!', but nothing comes out of his mouth, suddenly scared because,  _why the fuck is he not slowing down? Are those tears on his face?_  Before he can register what the hell is happening, Hinata tackles him with the force of a very angry gnome, making him fall backwards into the dark water —the same water that he successfully has been avoiding  all day until this very moment. 

The miscalculated force of the tackle makes Hinata fall right behind Kageyama into the pool, still wearing all his work clothes and fish hat, face first and screaming names at Kageyama until the very last moment when the water fills his mouth.

When Kageyama's head pops out of the water his eyes move over the surface searching for an orange damped head because he knows they fell in the deepest side of the pool and because he also knows that Hinata's swimming skills still suck. Said orange head appears with a splash next to him, hitting his face in the process with an open hand.

"What the—" another hand, this time curled into a fist, hits his chin.

"It's your fault! It's your fault! Fuck you, Kageyama!" Hinata repeats like an angry mantra as he tries to keep his head under the water and hit Kageyama at the same time. "Your fucking fault!" His fists lands weakly at random places over Kageyama, who tries to catch him unsuccessfully by the soaked shirt to keep him from drowning. "I'm going to beat y—", Hinata's head starts to sink again. 

"Hey, stop it, dumbass!" Kageyama can finally grab Hinata by the collar and drag him closer to the stairs. He starts to climb up the metallic steps when a hand pulls him down again from his trunks, making them slide and exposing his ass to the public view. "What the fuck are you doing?", is all he can ask before falling again over Hinata, bare butt first. 

Once again under the water, Kageyama takes a second to open his eyes —even though he knows is going to sting. Hinata's figure is not far from him, kicking and waving his fists around him in slow motion and realisation hits him like an elephant falling on his head. 

After a few minutes, when both of them are out of the water (fish hat included), Hinata starts to yell at him again, still panting. "Why the fuck did you call him!?" He's shaking badly, despite being  dripping wet Kageyama can tell, now that he's so close to appreciate it, that half of the wetness on Hinata's cheeks are tears. "Shit, why did you have to ruin everything!?". His voice raises even louder and he tries to hit Kageyama again, but a hand stops him by the wrist.

"Enough," Yachi's serious face is scary. Her brows knitted together, eyes wide open and lips pressed into a thin line. "You two are going to got me fired." She lets go of Hinata's hands and shoves Kageyama's bag into his chest with force. She grabs them by the shoulders and pushes them towards the exit.

"But I didn't do anything," Kageyama whines.

"You did everything wrong, assho—" Hinata groans.

"I said enough!" Yachi's angry yell is like a slap on their faces, they shut up and lower their heads in shame.

"You—", she says pointing Kageyama "are going to take him to my place—" she lifts her hand and with a finger on his chin she makes him look at her face, "and I know you're not great withthese things, but talk to him until I get there." Kageyama nods and Yachi lets go their faces. She turns her back to them, and heads back to the pool, suddenly stopping to add "I'll be there in an hour or so, please don't fight and trash my apartment."

 

* * *

 

They take Kageyama's car in silence. Before getting inside, Kageyama places some towels over the seats because Hinata's clothes are still drenched and he doesn't want his precious car ruined. 

Kageyama doesn't like this side of Hinata. 'Quiet' doesn't fit him, it feels unnatural. With the corner of his eye he can see Hinata's shaking shoulders, not long after he starts sobbing. Its obvious that he has been trying to contain himself, but now tears run down his cheeks, mixing with the drops falling from his dark dripping hair. Hiccuping, Hinata furiously rubs his eyes and sniffs a couple of times before curl(ing) into himself in shame.

"S-stop crying," Kageyama says just to fill the silence.

"Shut the... fuck up, Bakageyama! It's all... your fault, so SHUT UP!" Hinata can't stop weeping.

Instead of answering, Kageyama bites his lower lip and clicks his tongue. Maybe the silence is not that bad after all. Something starts to ache in his chest every time he listens a quiet sob, a knot forms in his stomach as well and he feels like he wants to scream and hit something— someone. Kageyama doesn't understand why he's feeling so upset seeing Hinata crying. He wasn't expecting to Oikawa to call so soon; a few days, maybe a week is all he wanted to prepare himself, to think what to say. Honestly, nothing could have prepared Kageyama to face Hinata's devastated look.

Briefly he wonders how it would feel to raise his hand and wipe the tears from Hinata's face, to place an arm over those trembling shoulders and make him lean against his own chest. Would it make Hinata feel better? Would he stop crying? Would Hinata's skin be as warm as it seems?

A high pitched scream drags him out of wherever his mind was and quickly he slams the brake. The car stops with a violent jolt, not crashing into the car before theirs by mere millimetres. He gasps and rubs the spot the seatbelt has hurt him, then he turns to Hinata who is sitting completely still and eyes shut, with his arms spread in front of him as if he was waiting for the impact.

"Are you okay?" Kageyama asks with a trembling voice.

Hinata opens his eyes and nods slowly, lowering his arms. His gaze slides down and Kageyama's follows it until he realises that his own hand is now on Hinata's thigh. With a gasp, Kageyama removes the hand abruptly, slamming the wheel and gripping it until his knuckles turn white.

Now he's completely sure he's not going to be able to do this, whatever  _mission_  Yachi entrusted him... No, his brain isn't ready at all.

By the time they arrive at Yachi's apartment it's pouring down and they have to run under the rain until they make it to the door of the building. Dripping wet they come into the hall still silent. Without saying a word Kageyama goes to Yachi's room with two towels and two changes of clothes, throwing one of each to Hinata.

Five minutes later they're both sitting on opposite sides of the couch, Hinata with his face buried in his hands and Kageyama tapping awkwardly the handle of his cup of hot tea. He watches the smoke leaving the warm liquid as he thinks what to say.

"I loved him."

" _Loved_?" Kageyama asks, confused for the sudden statement.

"I loved him— I love him... I-I don't know anymore," Hinata's voice sounds muffled by his own hands over his face. He sniffs and lowers his hands, still not facing Kageyama. "I knew things were weird between us since months ago but I didn't want to see it. And now I don't have him. I don't have anything." He breathes deeply and turns to look at Kageyama with puffy red eyes, tears glittering, waiting to finally fall down his cheeks. "I feel so...empty now."

"I know, I know. You'll feel bad for a while, you'll cry at night, wondering what you did wrong for things to end up like this. You'll blame yourself and only yourself because this is how he does things. He uses you, he makes you depend on him to the point you're lost without him until he doesn't need you anymore. Although it's not your fault, because you did nothing wrong, you'll still cry. And it's ok, because you will pick up your pieces again and you'll move on with your life." Kageyama blinks several times and rubs the space between his brown eyes, hoping that make the tears go away.

Hinata doesn't respond at first; he just keeps staring at him with an eyebrow raised in confusion. His expression would be comical in other circumstances, with his eyes red, his hair completely unruly from the towel and a little bit of snot falling from his reddened nose.

"How— what are you even saying? How did you get Oikawa's number?" Hinata's voice starts raising in volume and anger. "Is it true that you told him to break up with me?" He finally stands from the couch, his body facing Kageyama in a menacing way. Too angry to think what he is doing he takes a step closer and fists his hands, ready to jump on Kageyama.

"I did it for you, stupid!" Kageyama, abruptly, stands too and Hinata steps back at his friend's height.

"Why do you care? Why do you have to decide what is the best for me?" Hinata yells as tears stain his face again. "You don't know shit about me."

Kageyama can't stand this situation. He wishes he could tell Hinata, he wishes things would be different, he wishes for Yachi to be here. For hundredth time today he rubs his face in frustration and groans. If Hinata could simply  _understand_...

He lets his rage guide his movements and he grips Hinata by the collar of his shirt —too big on him, shaking his small frame as he yells back "I know enough!" The force that Kageyama puts in the push isn't much, but when he sees the other boy stumble back, a pained yelp leaving Hinata's lips, his mind freezes, his body suddenly stills. Did Hinata's knee just fail him? 

Rubbing his knee, Hinata glares at Kageyama from the floor, greeting clenching his teeth. "I-I gotta go," he says as he struggles to stands up. 

"No, wait! I'm sorry!" Kageyama exclaims. Hinata walks, limping slightly, towards the entrance when the door opens by surprise: Yachi steps inside, blinking startled at the two boys standing by the door. She doesn't say anything and steps aside to let Hinata go through the open door. Despite the new presence, Kageyama's eyes are still fixed on Hinata; the way he tries not to put weight on his left knee as he walks, the way he lowers his head, wanting to make himself smaller. "I know, ok? I know because he did it to me too."

Hinata stops and turns to look at Kageyama with wide eyes. "What?"

"Please, stay. I-I could tell you— both," he shoots a nervous look at Yachi, who is silently pressed against the wall, moving her eyes like she were watching a ping pong game, "if you stay. Please?"

It's too much to ask, Kageyama knows it, he has screwed up everything again. He shouldn't have yelled at him, he hurt him, he didn't think of the real consequences of that phone call, he just thought that everything would be fine, that Hinata would be better... Kageyama shakes his head and shuts his eyes angry at himself, he has really fucked this up.

The front door shuts, Hinata turns around and says with a strangled voice:

"Start speaking."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: blobfish, boys in skirts, some gay shit. lol

Kageyama makes them sit on the couch while he makes more tea in the kitchen. Outside, the storm makes its way over the city, leaving flooded streets everywhere. Random flashes lighten the room momentarily as the thunder echoes deeply in the cloudy sky. He takes his time to prepare everything. How is he going to tell them about Oikawa? Will they think that he was stupid to let Oikawa fool him like he did?

Placing the cups on a tray he sighs and heads to the living room, where Yachi and Hinata are sitting on the couch, closer than Kageyama and Hinata sat an hour ago, waiting in silence for him to start the show.

He sits in front of them on one of the kitchen's chairs and rubs his legs nervously. After a couple of minutes of silence Yachi leans toward her boyfriend: "Tobio? Mmh, are you ok?" She asks worriedly.

"I-I'm okay. I don't know where to start," he fidgets uncomfortably.

"What about if you tell us where did you met Oikawa?" Yachi asks trying to help him.

Kageyama nods before saying: "I met him on my first day of high school, he was a third year player on the volleyball team and—"

"Wait! You played volleyball?" Hinata asks excitedly slamming his cup on the table.

"Hinata! Let him finish! And don't break my things, I'm already grateful to find out that you didn't trash my apartment when I got here, so don't start now," Yachi scolds him with a frown. Hinata leans back again on the couch with a pout, muttering an apology.

"Mmh... Yes, I still play volleyball, but when I met Oikawa I wasn't even a regular. He was really popular, the best setter of the prefecture. He was handsome, charming, he played so well. I was completely blinded by his talent. When my own setter skills started to stand out and our coach let me play for a whole set on one of the training matches Oikawa started to pay a lot more attention to me as well." Kageyama pauses in order to take a sip of his cup. Hinata and Yachi remain silent, listening expectantly. "I couldn't believe it a first, I admired Oikawa so much, and he wanted to spend time with me... It was kinda overwhelming. After a couple of weeks he asked me out, obviously I couldn't refuse. After another two weeks I was completely in love. Stupid." He chuckles remembering this stupid, naive old own self. "He taught me a lot of things about volleyball, about life, about love," Kageyama spits the last word with revulsion. "Oh, God I was such a fucking idiot," rubbing his fingers on his scalp he continues, "despite all the rumours I heard I ended up really hooked and I didn't see anything weird until he asked me to stop playing as setter. And I did it. I fucking did it!"

At this point of his speech, Kageyama is on the verge of tears. Yachi is standing up from the couch to hug him when Kageyama shakes his head to tell her 'no'. He wants to finish. Hinata looks at him with an unreadable face, biting his lower lip.

"The first time he asked me not to play, the coach just put me on the court, replacing him. And after that game he took me to the lockers room and he told me to talk with the coach, to not try to play as a regular. And he asked me while he was blowing me and I couldn't say no. His words followed me even after he left for college. Some teammates told me he was cheating on me, I didn't believe them, they told me he was manipulating me, I pushed them away. I was so depressed that only in my third year I asked for a second chance on the court."

"And that's it?" Hinata asked snorting.

"What??"

"You were so nervous..." Hinata tries to hold a laugh, covering his lower face with a hand. "You made a fuss about all this! I thought it was way worse! Were you worried bout us thinking bad about you or something?"

"Stop laughing, dumbass," Kageyama hisses clenching his teeth.

"Dude, that guy sent me 600 km away just to avoid breaking up with me! And I didn't even notice!" Hinata keeps laughing hysterically, "that's way worse, so I win."

"Oikawa broke my heart!" Kageyama is shocked, he narrows his eyes, ready to fight for his first place on ' _Oikawa fucked my life_ ' rank.

"Mine too! And I knew what I was getting into, he cheated on someone, _with me_! I'm more stupid." Hinata's smile begins to fade.

"He was my first!"

"Pfff, mine too, Kageyama," Hinata snorts again. "Try harder."

"He made me wear a skirt!"

"Ha! Twice! And I liked it!" Hinata smirks.

Kageyama's lips press together, he is determined not to loose.

"I almost quit volleyball because of him." Kageyama stands off the chair, leaning forward, frowning deeply. Their voices raising, almost yelling at each other.

"I lost my volleyball scholarship because of him, I fucked my knee because of him, now I have nothing because of him!" Hinata angrily pants. He suddenly realises that he just went too far. He sits again, tired and breathing heavily as the entwines his fingers, a poor attempt to make his hands to stop shaking.

"You played volleyball too?" Kageyama asks, eyes fixed on Hinata in disbelief.

"Oh, Hinata..." Yachi closes the distance between them and holds both of his hands.

"I'm fucked," his voice quivers. "I'm totally fucked. I'm too far from my family, I— oh my god!" he gasps, fisting strands of his orange hair tightly, "that's why he only paid one month of rent!"

Looking at the boy in front of him, Kageyama feels fear. Despite of that he tries to meet Hinata's eyes, dreading what he could see in them, but their gazes never meet. Right in front of him, Kageyama has one of his worst nightmares, he feels the same horror he felt when the doctors warned him about his shoulder, he feels it again crawling up his back, under the skin of his arms, he feels it as an invisible rope around his neck. But he's lucky after all, he still could play if he's careful, but Hinata... Does Hinata love volleyball as much as he does? How good was he to get a scholarship? He finds himself wishing for an opportunity to see him play.

A tiny spark of admiration blooms inside Kageyama's chest. Despite the dark place Hinata has been standing in for a while he manages to keep an endearing cheerfulness and a wide smile with him. Still in awe, Kageyama has to admit his defeat: Oikawa has fucked him Hinata in more ways than he fucked him.

"Fine. You win this one," Kageyama sighs. He's not accepting Hinata's victory out of pity, he would hate that for sure; no, he is declaring Hinata as the stupidest between the two and he hoped for he wouldn't realise that fact.

Blinking up at the boy standing before him, Hinata whispers a quivering "I win." His eyes widens as he repeats loudly. "I win!"

Kageyama's lips curve into a side smile, Yachi laughs. Chirping a silly song about winning, Hinata stands and and throws his fists into the air, proclaiming his superiority above the other boy. Two amused glances meet, avoiding the dancing frame between them, exchanging sighs of relief.

"Hinata," Yachi calls without breaking the eye contact with Kageyama.

"Huh?" He stops his song mid sentence to look at the girl.

"It's late and is hasn't stopped raining, would you like to stay for the night? Kageyama could cook something for dinner while we set up the spare futon in my study room."

"Yes! I'm mean, it would be cool," Hinata answers grinning and much as his face will let him.

 

* * *

 

Yachi would say that it's like a tickle; it starts at the back of her neck, reaching her ears. It goes down through her arms to the tip of her fingers. Sometimes she can feel it only on the palms of her hands, sometimes even in her stomach. It's not a bad tickle, it's like the tickle she feels when she sees her mom after a long time, or when Kageyama surprises her with a homemade lunch, visiting her on campus. And now, she's feeling it again, laying on the bed, next to Kageyama, after almost two hours of laughing, playing and joking with him and Hinata after dinner. This time is it's so strong that she can feel it even on her cheeks.

And she likes the feeling.

"Tobio, are you asleep?" she asks in a whisper.

"Yes."

"Could you touch my cheeks?" She requests, ignoring his answer.

"Why?"

"Just touch them."

Kageyama complies and places a warm hand over her warmer cheek.

"Can you feel it?"

"I don't know what you mean," he answers confused.

"Never mind," she sighs, without losing her smile. She feels like she could keep smiling even after falling asleep. "Did you have fun today? Despite... You know..."

"I guess."

Despite sounding so restrained, Yachi can't tell. Kageyama enjoyed the day. Not only the last part —the fun part— but the whole day, even with the fight, the storm and all the raw feelings displayed in her living room.

Kageyama has really surprised her; it was like witnessing the first baby steps of a toddler, a baby bird('s) first attempt at flying. She's so proud, she felt that if she talked, if she made some abrupt movement, the magic spell would break. But he did well, he did so _well_.

She vibrates in anticipation of what she's going to ask next. Since she started to date Kageyama she has been learning a lot, taking risks being one of those things and her favourite so far. She has learned that you can't do anything you like if you're not brave enough, so her love for Kageyama showed her to fight. Still, she gets nervous every time she knows that what she's about to do could turn out as a bad idea. But she has to try this at least. You don't _get_ anything if you don't even _try_.

"Say, Tobio," she bites her lip hard after Kageyama turns to stare at her "what would you think if I ask Hinata to move in? Before you answer, think about it for a bit, ok? After everything he's been through, I think that we could help him, don't you think?" The boy doesn't answer right away and stays quiet. Through his chest, Yachi can feel Kageyama's heart pounding like crazy against his ribs and she smiles, nuzzling her nose on his neck. He's completely in, even if he doesn't want to acknowledge it.

And she giggles happily because Kageyama's silence is full of excitement.

 

* * *

 

Next morning, a pained yelp brings Yachi back from her comfy place in dreamland. A sun ray dodges the curtains, hitting her directly in her eyes, making her wince. Stirring, she looks at the alarm clock, good, she's still on time to go to work.

Her ears catch another bunch of muffled sounds coming from another room. That must mean that the boys are awake. She puts on a pair of pants and leaves the room.

"I told you they are hot, dumbass, don't touch them." The boys are standing in the kitchen, Kageyama scolding Hinata for throwing a piece of toast to the floor.

"But I'm hungry now!" Hinata whines.

Yachi can't see their faces from the kitchen door but still, she laughs, making them jump in surprise.

"Hey," Kageyama leaves the food on the kitchen counter and approaches her to kiss her good morning. "Good morning," he adds after breaking the kiss.

"Good morning," she greets them both. The blush on Hinata's face makes her smile again.

After helping to set up the table, Yachi sits between the two boys, watching them talk lively about Hinata's job at the aquarium.

"Next week they're going to bring a new penguin with a wounded wing from a zoo in Argentina! And in two days the vets are going to release two seals that are already completely recovered and the TV is going to be there!" He says too enthusiastically almost spilling Kageyama's milk.

"A new penguin?" He asks leaning forward, not minding his almost spilt milk.

"Yeah, it's a Magallanic penguin, I heard that it has just one wing." He pauses to bite his toast and continues with his mouth full of bread "apparently it isn't adapting to the zoo life there, so they're bringing here because of this guy who works at the aquarium... We call him 'the penguin whisperer', it's like he hypnotises them with his eyes, I swear!!" He gulps his food, "and they expect him to help the new penguin."

"And when is the penguin arriving?" Kageyama asks as casually as possible. Yachi holds a laugh.

"Umh, next week, the 21st I think, why?"

"I'm just curious."

"He loooooves penguins."

Yachi and Kageyama answers at the same time, making Hinata jump on his chair.

They keep talking, mostly Hinata telling silly stories about his job and the animals living in the tanks: the manatee who pooped right in front of him when he was explaining its feeding habits, the kid who tried to feed his hat to a seal, the time he puked after accidentally touching the blobfish while helping to clean his tank. Hinata's laughing slowly dies after his last anecdote, his gaze fixer to the bottom of his empty cup.

It's understandable, at least for Yachi, Hinata's sudden change of mood, after all he just got dumped yesterday. She stands, picking up the dirty cups and plates as she shoves her elbow in Kageyama's ribs, giving him a meaningful look. The boy swallows hard and nods.

"Mmh, Hinata?"

"Yes?" His eyes are still a little unfocussed when they turn up at Kageyama.

"I— we... " Kageyama clears his throat with a grunt. "We've been thinking... I mean, we talked... Ouch!" Yachi stabs him again as she sits next to Kageyama. "Would you like to move in here with Yachi— us?"

"What?" Hinata's jaw drops open.

"Since your apartment is completely empty and, as you said, your lease will end soon, we want to offer you to stay here, in my study room." Yachi goes to the rescue. "Of course, we will move all my things, and you'll have the entire room for yourself. Is not too big, but you won't have to pay rent and you won't be alone. Take your time to thin—"

"YES!" With more force than intended, Hinata slams his hands on the table, startling the couple in front of him. "That would be awesome," he takes a second to calm down and grinning from ear to ear he adds, "but you have to let me pay my part of the bills at least."

"Ok," she says, "it's a deal, then." She extends her hand towards him. Hinata, still smiling like a maniac shakes her hand two times before pulling her into a hug. Surprised, she doesn't hug back at first, but after feeling Hinata's shaking body pressed against hers, Yachi lifts her arms and hugs back, enjoying the fondness  sprouting in her chest.

Kageyama watches them hug, nailed down to the chair. Hinata is shaking, eyes tightly closed, face slightly red... But his elated smile don't go down. The scene in front of him makes his stomach twist in an unfamiliar way, his chest aches. His eyes widens as the realisation hits him. He's jealous. And the worst part is that he doesn't know of who. A hand pulls him into the hug too and he hears Hinata's muffled voice.

"It's going to be _gwah_!"

 

* * *

 

It isn't that surprising how well Hinata fits in their life. After only one car ride with all his stuff, they move Yachi's desk to her bedroom, they make room in next to the TV screen to place the bookshelf and set the spare futon next to the window. It's smaller than Hinata's old room, but he can't stop smiling.

They can notice Hinata's excitement through the house every time he squeaks happily whenever he finds something new (' _a closet! Wow it's so big_ ', ' _non-plastic plates! I miss these_ ', ' _oh my god, towels_!'). Chuckling, they look at each other, knowing that this is the best decision they could have ever made.

A couple of hours later, Kageyama is helping Hinata unpacking the rest of his things, which basically consist of clothes and books about animals. He notices a long object wrapped in a cloth leaned against the wall.

"What is this?" He asks untying the thin rope around the clothed objet. It's heavy and it sounds like something metallic when he moves it.

"Oh, these." Hinata helps Kageyama with the piece of fabric. "These are my crutches. I used to need them a lot."

"And now?" Kageyama frowns with concern.

Hinata shrugs indifferently. "Sometimes." And he doesn't say anything else. Kageyama guesses that he doesn't like to talk about this. And he isn't going to be the one making Hinata uncomfortable.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama wakes up in the middle of the night, not sure of what pulled him out of his sleep. Then he hears it again, a quiet whimper coming from the other room, Hinata's room, he suddenly thinks, his mind still not used to the other boy living under the same roof. He shifts his position, ready to go to sleep again when a loud bump echoes through the wall.

Looking at Yachi, still asleep with her head buried in the pillow he jumps out of the bed.

He doesn't bother to knock on the door before stepping inside the room. Hinata, sitting on the edge of his bed is trying to reach a fallen crutch on the floor. Without saying a word he turns on the light of the lamp on the night stand by Hinata's bed and grabs the crutch from the floor for him.

"Are you okay?" He asks slowly, his mind still numb.

"I— Yes, yes thank you," but he doesn't sound 'okay'.

"Sure," he says sarcastically, "What happened?"

"Nothing... My knee hurts," Hinata succumbs under Kageyama's heavy gaze.

"Since when? Do you need help?"

Hinata sighs and runs his hands through his hair making it stick up everywhere. "A kid from my group ran away from the teacher and I had to chase him around the park. Ugh, I'm so out of shape." Rubbing his finger over the thigh muscles he looks at Kageyama with a wry smile. "A fucking five year old kicked my ass." Hinata shakes his head and asks, "could you bring me the painkillers from the first drawer, please?"

Without a word, Kageyama hands him the medication, leaving the room just to come back a minute later with a glass of cold water. He feels uneasy staring at Hinata gulping down the pills, it feels too intimate.

Kageyama blushes and sits on the floor, resting his back on the bed while Hinata lets his body to fall against the mattress again.

"What happened to your knee? You said Oikawa— you said this was his fault?" Kageyama asks with caution.

"All I wanted was to be better for Tooru, he was the best setter I'd ever met and I had to be at his level as soon as possible. He was subtle at first, little comments here and there, then he started suggesting that maybe I could try to jump higher, to run faster. I trained more than I should, I didn't pay any mind at the pain until it was too late." He looks away ashamed. For any athlete, taking care of his own body must be a priority, and Hinata, forcing himself to that point, broke that number one rule. "Before I could realise how serious the injury was the doctor was taking me to surgery, I was going through a hell of physical therapy, I was losing my scholarship. Last year felt like climbing the fucking _Angel Fall_."

"The what?"

"It's the highest waterfall in the world, Kageyama," Hinata answers condescendingly.

It's a good thing that they can't look at each other in the dark room, it makes everything easier, to talk about the pain, the remorse. Hinata's voice quivers the whole time he speaks. Kageyama doesn't say anything, what could he say? If Hinata loves the sport as much as he doesn't there's nothing he could say to ease the pain. They stay quiet for a few minutes before Hinata breaks the silence:

"And you? What happened to your shoulder?" Kageyama's mind goes blank for a second, his body tensing in fear. "Yes, I noticed. Your right shoulder is stiffer that the left one, you move it carefully, I could see it since you started teaching me how to swim."

"I— I—" Kageyama can't put two words together, he wasn't expecting the conversation to turn this way.

"I've seen too many injuries back at the clinic for me not notice it," Hinata explains.

"D-don't worry about it. I'm taking care of it," Kageyama is completely embarrassed, he knows he shouldn't be, but he can't help it. He should have been more careful, he should have stopped pushing himself, he shouldn't...

"Good." Hinata grins at him "do whatever it takes to not end up like me." His mouth may be smiling, but the bitterness of these words hit Kageyama like a punch in the guts.

Clicking his tongue, Kageyama raises his hand towards Hinata, making him flinch away. But Kageyama doesn't smack his hand against his head; instead a hand brushes his forehead, taking away the orange fringe. Smooth fingers run through Hinata's hair, and acting by impulse, Kageyama press a light kiss on the warm skin of his forehead.

Speechless, Hinata slide his eyes open. They seem black in the dim light of the night lamp but Kageyama can see a whole world inside them, deep, dark but full of lively sparks. He wishes to be able to get lost inside them, he wishes for an eternity to explore the other boy's mysteries, to make Hinata's eyes his home. But, damn, he just kissed him and, somehow, he feels like puking on that pretty face because _he just fucking kissed him_.

Before Hinata could say anything he stands and storms out of the room, closing the door behind him, hoping for Hinata not to follow him.

When Kageyama goes inside Yachi's bedroom, the girl isn't in the bed. A sound behind him tells him that his girlfriend just stepped inside the room after him.

"Toilet," she explains groggily, rubbing her eyes. She launches herself on the bed ready to fall asleep again when she notices Kageyama standing on the same place, not moving at all. Frowning she turns on the light to find a beet red Kageyama. "Tobio, what's wrong?" Concern shows on her face as she stands on her knees on the bed.

"I kissed him," he says quickly, still feeling sick and elated at the same time. He's gonna throw up all the butterflies in his stomach.

"What?" She asks completely shocked.

"I kissed him on the forehead," he suddenly feels the need of clarify the detail of the exact spot where the kiss was placed.

"Oh, Tobio," Yachi's skin is burning, the heat in the room makes her sweat, or maybe it's the heat inside her chest that is scorching her, she doesn't know.

"I-I'm sorry," he stutters.

"It's okay, it's okay," she manages to answer. "Come here. What happened?"

Kageyama stumbles towards the bed and falls heavily by Yachi's side. He looks as shocked as Yachi; mouth slightly open, breathing quickly through it.

"I don't know, his knee hurt, and then... I don't know, I'm sorry."

"Sshh, it's okay, really," she soothes him, caressing his fringe. Putting it aside, she kisses his forehead as he did with Hinata minutes ago. She bites her lip after lifting her head and meets Kageyama's eyes. "See? It's okay."

The fire in her stomach dies as fast as it appeared, replaced by the familiar tickle, and she smiles fondly at Kageyama. She feels sad, and a little upset for having missed it.


	7. Chapter 7

In only three days they manage to create a routine for the mornings. Everything fit so well that it's like their lives are made to be the three of them. Kageyama wakes up first, leaving for a short jog. When Yachi wakes up her boyfriend has finished with the bathroom. Then they wake up Hinata; the boy is not a morning person and this is the hardest part of the routine. They practically have to drag him out of the bed every time and, between groans and groggy eyes, he manages to eat breakfast without falling face first into the bowl of milk and embarrass himself by dying in the dumbest way possible.

Kageyama doesn't mind driving them to their work places, but when Hinata forgets his lunch bag in the car for the third time in a row he start to regret his offer.

"Hey dumbass!" Kageyama shouts with his torso out of the car.

Hinata is walking towards the aquarium entrance and doesn't have enough time to turn before his kitty patterned lunch bag hits his face. He squeaks in pain, but grins back at Kageyama, waving his hand enthusiastically and shouting back: "Thanks, Kageyama! See you guys later!"

Yachi laughs from the passenger seat. "You could have thrown it with less force."

"Every time!" He complains. "I feel like we were dropping off our fucking kid to school." And Yachi can't help it but burst into laughter.

Yachi hangs the chores chart on the fridge's door with two ladybug magnets. Two days later she finds herself changing the entire chart because, god, Hinata can't wash a dish without breaking it right after. In one day he has broken her two favourite mugs and and a salad bowl.

Day by day they find out new aspects of Hinata that they would have never seen otherwise. Like the way Hinata farts in the morning, the way he sheds all over the place like a fucking dog, the smiley faces he likes to draw on the foggy mirror after he showers, the way he sings or talks to himself while doing laundry, the happy giggles echoing in the living room when they watch the TV together before going to bed, the occasional muffled sobbing sounds coming from his room at night...

All in all they like their new routine.

One Friday morning, however, Hinata breaks the entire routine waking up first and making breakfast all by himself.

"Good morning!" He says a little over enthusiastic the exact moment the couple step on the kitchen.

"What is this?" Kageyama asks suspiciously.

"What are you guys going to do later?" Hinata decides to ignore the question.

"Nothing, why?" Yachi answers eyeing the burned toast and the raw egg spilled over the table.

"I want you to come to the aquarium after you finish your shift?" It comes more like a question than a request, his voice quivers a little.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Right, Tobio?" She elbows the boy, who is currently stuffing his mouth with one of the burnt toasts. He hums in agreement before gulping down the entire cup of milk.

"Great!" He looks relieved. "I'm gonna go now, you don't have to drive me today, I'll take the bus!" Hinata's words fade as he leaves the room.

"Hey, dumbass!" Kageyama shouts.

"Oops!" They hear Hinata's heavy footsteps coming back to the kitchen, where he quickly grabs his lunch bag and leaves again.

 

* * *

 

"Hi! I'm Hinata Shouyou and I'm going to be your guide today! Nice to meet you!" Hinata is standing in front of them, by the aquarium doors, wearing the outfit they already had the chance to see days ago when he pushed Kageyama—and himself— into the pool. The smile on his face makes the sun look like a dying firefly. Hinata makes a mocking salute with his hand, swinging on his heels.

"Hi!" Yachi smiles back.

"What are you doing?" Kageyama cringes at the fish-shaped hat.

"I'm gonna show you the aquarium, obviously! I talked to my boss and he gave me free tickets for you two," Hinata says as fast as his tongue will let him.

Yachi claps happily and Kageyama says: "but we get to see the penguins too, right?"

It turns out that Hinata is an excellent guide. He explains to them that the majority of the animals that live in the park are the ones that under no circumstance could survive in the wild, either because they're injured or because they were raised in another zoo or aquarium. Besides the typical route he usually shows to the groups, he shows them the insides of the aquarium too. Chirping here and there, Hinata bounces from one fish tank to another, rambling about the migratory habits, poison resistance and funny objects with some kind of resemblance to said fishes.

The entire park consists of three large buildings, an amphitheatre, a huge lake and a fake cave with a small waterfall. Huge trees all around the place provide the visitors  of shady paths to walk comfortably.

By the time they left the first building Kageyama is as amazed by the amount of annoying fish jokes Hinata knows.

"These little tiny jellyfish are called _carukia barnesi_ , although they're not aggressive at all they are poisonous as fuck, they can even kill you Kageyama!" Hinata is standing next to a cylindrical tank with some small jellyfish floating randomly in the water. They already reached the second building, which Hinata called 'snow white's apple' _because its poisonous, Bakageyama_.

"But they are so tiny," Kageyama whispers fascinated with his nose pressed against the glass.

"What about that one?" Yachi points to the other side of the room, where a big tank contains several colourful fishes. "The one that looks like a halo hat."

"That's a stingray, they have a spine under the tail that is really poisonous." Hinata smiles looking at the calm animals inside the tank.

The light in the room dances with the water, spreading waving shadows everywhere. Yachi locks her eyes on Hinata's skin; the dim light makes it look pale and too delicate, however, there's a bright vibe coming out of it, like she could see Hinata's bliss emanating from his body.

"When are we going to see the penguins?" Kageyama complains with a poorly dissimulated pout on his face.

"Ah! Right!" Hinata checks his watch and bites his lip. "I can't bring you there yet, it's a surprise." He taps his chin with a finger and his eyes brighten with an idea. "I know! Follow me!" He takes a hold of Yachi's hand and then gestures to Kageyama to take his free hand. Blushing slightly, Kageyama reaches for the hand and follows Hinata's quick pace.

Kageyama can't stop looking at their entwined hands, the sweat on his temples is now visible and he's completely conscious of how clammy his hand must be. But he doesn't let go of the smaller hand, he holds it tightly, scared of losing the warm feeling of Hinata's fingers. They walk out of the building and the boy guides them through the park with precision, though Kageyama doesn't pay any attention to his surroundings. Hinata is always touching him, sitting too close, speaking too much. He's getting used to it but still...

"... from the inside! And the cave is pretty cool too!" Hinata is saying when Kageyama's attention returns again.

They arrive at some kind of small hill. Or at least that's what Kageyama thinks. On the other side of the hill there's an entrance; a huge hole in the rock that simulates a cave. Under Kageyama's touch the stone feels completely fake. When they go inside the darkness swallows them, and the sound of water falling somewhere deep inside reaches their ears. Squeezing Hinata's hand he follows the boy in the dark, not having time to adjust his eyes to the dark he has to trust Hinata to guide them to a safe place and not a ditch to gut them.

With the corner of his eye, Kageyama suddenly perceives an unknown form, though when he looks at it directly he doesn't see it anymore. A few seconds later he's able to understand what he's looking at; a huge cylindrical tank that goes from the ceiling of the fake cave to the floor.

The low light barely let's him see what is inside, but at the moment he steps closer his eyes catch a glimpse of dozens of tiny white fish with no eyes.

"Come on," Hinata encourages them to keep walking.

"But, the fish, what's wrong with them?" He follows his friend, but the curiosity still clings to him as he steps forward.

"Cavefish, no eyes, not interesting! Come on!"

No eyes? What could be more interesting than eyeless fish? Kageyama is going to complain when the light around them starts to brighten. They exit the fake cave and enter a new one, but this time Kageyama has to stop to catch his breath.  The sound of the water falling is too intense here, the waterfall covering one of the walls, letting a little bit of light go through it is loudly splashing against the rock. Infinite droplets fly around them escaping the powerful stream of the waterfall, making them blink continuously. This new place, though not too big, is overwhelming. There's a term used in the art field called _horror vacui_ that describes perfectly the sudden sensation of fear and astonishment that makes him choke. Every inch of ceiling and walls of the space are covered by moss. Usually, moss is boring, disgusting even, but not this moss.

One of the most endearing memories Kageyama still remembers of his father before the divorce is a trip they made to a little house in the woods they used to own. In the middle of the night, a few hours before the sunrise, his father woke him and took him outside the cottage, making him walk half asleep until they reached the lake. The memory of thousands of little sparks spilled above him is still burned in his retinas, still present in his dreams. Like millions of city lights hanging from the ceiling, the stars shone inside his heart and made him feel dizzy and microscopic. The dark sky was deep and far but the stars painting it made it close and reachable with his tiny hand.

"The moss is shining," Yachi wishers by his side, her head spinning around, trying to look at the whole place at the same time.

Hinata is standing nearby the waterfall, touching the water with his fingers and smiling. His eyes meet for a second before Kageyama turns back to look at the stunning scenery where they're standing.

He lifts his hand and brushes a patch of wet moss. The plant is glowing more than shining, the light emanating from it isn't enough to light the cave but it fills the place with a calm and ethereal glow that could warm even the coldest hearts.

Despite the gorgeous view around him, Kageyama's eyes drift to his side, witnessing something even more breathtaking: Yachi and Hinata are standing now side by side, shoulders touching, heads leaned back and mouths slightly open. Dozens of tiny droplets have attached to their hair and skin. Some of them are hanging from their eyelashes, making Yachi's even longer, Hinata's even darker. He stops himself from wiping the drops with his thumb, the memory of the forehead kiss popping up in his mind making him remain still, not blinking even once, not wanting to miss a second.

He frowns, but keeps staring. He doesn't understand why is this happening again. His body tried to move on its own like that night. And he doesn't like it. Something bites him from the inside and it's uncomfortable enough to make him want to run away and hide, so when Hinata meets his eyes and smiles, the bite in his chest hurts him again.

They leave the moss cave all wet but with a smile on their faces —except Kageyama, _jeez, we're going to see the penguins already, stop pouting_.

Kageyama follows with his hands in his pockets,  this way Hinata won't be able to touch him again. Why is this happening to him right now? His head starts to hurt and a groan dies at the back of his throat. This isn't good, this isn't supposed to happen, this is _wrong_. He stares at Yachi's back and a wave of guilt twists his stomach. Oh, boy, he's going to throw up.

A hand touches his arm. Yachi noticed, of course. Kageyama let her slip her hand into his with a reassuring squeeze. He bends a little to press a kiss on top of her head, wanting to let her see that he's okay, because everything _is_ okay, _he's okay_.

"Don't pout, Kageyama," Hinata says, too close for comfort. "I have a surprise for you."

  


The penguin habitat is a huge two floor building. Inside, connected with several staircases, there is a platform to observe the birds from above the water and another one to watch them swim under the water, which is Kageyama's favorite part.

But he's not enjoying it.

With Yachi in the bathroom, Kageyama is left alone with Hinata, who is rambling again about penguins, the poles, fish and shit, and Kageyama swears he's gonna punch the boy in the face if he doesn't shut up because his voice is too nice, his enthusiasm too endearing and the skin of his arm too warm hooked around his.

He clears his dry throat and releases his arm, asking, "and... hum, the penguin you talked about? Where is it?"

"Ah! It isn't here yet, it arrives this Saturday." Hinata frowns a little, like he were offended by Kageyama taking a step back from him.

Kageyama's guts twist again. He doesn't feel comfortable being so close to Hinata, but apparently, he doesn't want to be far neither, which makes him more confused and uneasy. It's been a long time since the last time he felt this way being around other people, Yachi taught him how to deal with this kind of crap, but now he feels empty and lost. _Where the hell is Yachi?_

"Shouyou!"

Both boys turn at the same time, startled by the voice calling Hinata's name. A short man is approaching them with a serious but bored face, Kageyama can't help it but eye the half dyed hair, blond tips and black roots. But the most remarkable feature of this man's face is, without a doubt, his eyes. Despite the lack of expression in them, the intelligence hidden behind them is scary.

"Kenma!" Hinata pats this _Kenma guy_ on the back. "We were waiting for you"

"Were we?" Kageyama asks, not making eye contact with Kenma, just in case he could read minds with those big eyes.

"Yeah," Hinata smiles mischievously at Kageyama, "we were."

 

* * *

 

"Did you see me, Hitoka?" Kageyama says excitedly. His eyes are glittering, his mouth twisted in an unpracticed smile.

"I did," Yachi says for umpteenth time, drawling and rolling her eyes.

"Did you see how they ate the fish from my hand?"

"Ugh."

"I touched them, Hitoka!"

"Tobio, please, eyes on the road," Yachi says, a little irritated.

Hinata's surprise turned out to be a free pass to be inside the penguin's habitat with the birds. Kenma—the _penguin whisperer_ — gave him some instructions before going inside, for security. Kageyama felt exultant, he couldn't believe what was happening and tried with all his might not to show it on his face. Kenma let him touch one of the most friendly penguins, feed them, and just watch them without 10 centimetres of glass between them. It was like winning the most important volleyball game of his life, but he's not going to admit that out loud, of course.

"Hinata," Kageyama calls. The boy sitting on the back seat leans toward the couple, grinning wildly and face blushing, "thank you."

Hinata's and Yachi's eyes meet in shock and they smile incredulously at each other, feeling this moment as an important one; Kageyama Tobio thanking someone. With real words.

"You're welcome, Kageyama."

 

* * *

 

Being alone isn't an issue for Kageyama anymore because whenever he's alone he's not really alone. He has Yachi, he has his teammates, he has his mom and now, he has Hinata. Now he can enjoy the time he's all by himself without panicking, the calming effect of the silence and the time to think about whatever he wants without a voice in the back of his head telling him that he's alone because he's not necessary nor wanted, nor loved.

The hours he spend in physical therapy are like that: calm and easy. Or they were until he had to do the exercises with one of the therapists, doctor's orders.

The silence became heavy the first time between both of them while Kageyama stretched his arm above his head and ended up awkward as hell by the end of the session. Maybe Kageyama doesn't want to admit it, but that's one of the reasons for him detesting P.T.

How he's now pressing his wrist against Hinata's palm inside this room inside the therapy clinic is something he can't understand.  He, supposedly, was avoiding any kind of physical contact with the boy, so how did he let this happen?

"Huh? Why can't I go with you?" Hinata asked Yachi that morning, whining with his most fake-sad voice.

"Because you're not invited, Hinata," Yachi smiled with superiority. "Kiyoko is my friend, we want a girl's day together and the last time I checked you walking carelessly out of the shower I can tell that you're not a girl."

"So you checked out my junk?" Hinata asked slyly.

"No! I mean yes... No! You walked to your room through the living room wearing a tiny towel! A really tiny towel that barely covered you!" Yachi's face glowed red, heat steamed from her ears as she dodged Hinata, who laughed so hard that he choked on his own spit. "I'm— I'm leaving." She slammed the door shut behind her.

Hinata's puppy eyes landed on him as fast as lightning, tenderly shining.

In that moment Kageyama knew they he was doomed. Though having to bear with Hinata's company wasn't an unpleasant thought.

"No"

"But—"

"No"

"Kag—"

"Why don't you go to work to see that penguin. Doesn't it arrive today?"

"Please, Kageyama, let me go with you today." Something in Hinata's voice made him take the boy seriously. "I don't wanna be alone today."

And that's how he ended up being so physically close to Hinata.

So, yes, all this was Yachi's fault for not letting Hinata be a girl for the day if he wanted to.

Kageyama watches Hinata's eyes flicker as his hands fold the towel and places it between Kageyama's arm and ribs. Pressing his wrist against Hinata's hand he let his mind wander comfortably as he usually does when he's doing this alone. Hinata's presence is comfortable, indeed. The need to fill the silence evaporates and they mechanically repeat the movements over and over again.

Is not until the last series of exercises that Hinata speaks again.

"Do you have any siblings?" He asks avoiding Kageyama's eyes.

"No, I don't." Kageyama remembers his childhood. He never missed having siblings, he wasn't —isn't a very sociable person anyways.

"I miss my sister." Kageyama doesn't say anything, there's nothing he can really say. He knows Hinata's sister lives far away so he can't see her often. "And my mom, of course, but my little sister the most. You know? She's a really creative girl, and funny. We used to play a lot together despite the age difference." Hinata's eyes are now glued to the floor beneath him, his mind lost in his memories, so Kageyama remains silent, listening. "You know, we used to have this stupid tradition on my birthday, she would come to my room and jumped on my bed yelling happy birthday until I woke up. It was annoying, painful even when she stepped on my face, but I miss it. When I woke up this morning and she wasn't jumping there... I miss her." Hinata brushes the back of his hand over his hidden face and doesn't say anything else.

The towel falls on the floor when Kageyama's hands rise to rest on Hinata's shoulder. His eyes are dry when he looks up at Kageyama, but his lips are curled down.

"Why didn't you say that today is your birthday?" Kageyama asks.

Hinata shrugs, sniffing a little.

For Kageyama, birthdays aren't a big deal, they never were back at home either. He never felt the need of spending that precise day with anybody in particular; maybe his mother, his father too when he still lived with them. By Hinata's trembling lip and evasive eyes he can't tell that birthdays are important for him.

In just a second he forgets the fear he felt after kissing Hinata's forehead, the guilt after visiting the moss cave, the hollowness in his stomach every time his gaze stays on him a little bit more than usual. Suddenly, caring for the other boy doesn't feel wrong. Maybe it should, sure, but it doesn't.

Sliding his hands down Hinata's arms he holds his hands and leans until his lips are brushing Hinata's ear. "Happy birthday, Hinata." Kageyama can practically hear him grin. "I could jump on your bed if you want... No, wait—"

"Ew! Creepy, Kageyama!" But Hinata is laughing, his eyes are screaming gratitude at Kageyama.

Despite Yachi's warning to not disturb her, Kageyama sends her a text before leaving the clinic with Hinata.

Later that night Hinata has the birthday party he deserves.

The cake tastes delicious, the movie is hilarious and the tears Hinata spills that night are for nothing but happiness.

 

* * *

 

Given the endless energy that Hinata seems to possess Kageyama is beyond surprised by his weird napping habits. The first time he finds him napping it's almost 6 pm and the boy is lying face down over a half eaten sandwich and an open book full of pictures of —Kageyama isn't sure— some kind of krill. At first, he thinks Hinata is dead, he knows that the boy slept until late in the morning, and when he shakes Hinata's shoulder the body under his hand jumps. Rubbing the corner of his eyes, Hinata looks at him with sleepy eyes and smiles, thanking him for waking him up, and keeps reading and eating like nothing weird happened.

After that Kageyama finds Hinata sleeping randomly during the day in different places, from the floor in front of the TV to the kitchen table. He has to accept that it's just something he does.

Today Hinata is napping on the couch completely sprawled and not leaving any room to Kageyama to enjoy the softness of the cushions, having to resort to the hard but cool floor—which, with the heavy heat of July, it's very welcomed. Hinata's arms are over his head, one leg bent on the knee and the other one hanging off the couch. It amazes him how Hinata's huge and untamed energy can be shut down in less than a minute, leaving the space around him in such silence, like a black hole sucking all the noise.

Kageyama finds himself fidgeting uncomfortably, not because of the hard floor, but for the little snores coming out of Hinata, making him want to look at the calm sleeping face. He looks at the time on his phone. Two more hours until he has to go  pick up Yachi from work and go grab some ice cream from that place she and Hinata told him about.

He's dozing off when the scream of his phone makes him jolt in surprise. Hinata squeaks from the couch as he sits up, looking around, scared.

"Yes! Hi!" Kageyama answers the phone a little disoriented.

"Tobio," the voice on the other side of the line is weak, but he recognises it.

"Hitoka! Hitoka, what's wrong?"

Hinata moves to sit by his side, and presses his ear to the phone too.

"Tobio, it's horrible," by her voice, the boys can tell that she's been crying.

"I was there, watching these kids playing, you know how kids can be... And then, one of them... He..." She falls silent. "Tobio, could you come? Please? I'm sorry, I know you wanted to rest today but..." she chokes a sob.

"Of course, of course! I'm on my way, don't worry." Kageyama hangs up the phone and stands, looking for his car keys as Hinata jumps behind him.

"I'm going too," he says, his lips pressing together in a thin line.

They jump in the car as fast as Hinata's legs let them. Kageyama drives over the limit, making Hinata's hands hold tightly to the seatbelt.

"Is she alright?" Hinata asks breaking the silence.

"I don't know."

"What if something bad happened to her?" Hinata's voice trembles.

"I don't know."

"What if she's hurt?" Hinata exclaims with panic.

"I DON'T KNOW! SHUT UP ALREADY!"

 

When they arrive to the pool, Yachi is waiting for them by the doors, shaking a little but apparently unharmed. She hugs Kageyama sighing in relief and squeezing Hinata's hands.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Hinata asks.

Yachi guides them inside, taking them by their hands. "My boss told me to look after a group of kids playing in the pool because their parents looked like weren't paying attention to them, so I've been waiting with them the entire morning and when I was looking inside my bag for my phone to message you about going to the ice cream shop..." She stops at the rim of the pool. The two boys then look at something floating near them and their eyes widen.

"...one of them pooped inside the pool."

 

* * *

 

Two weeks after the 'poop situation', the boys haven't forgiven Yachi and they still don't take her seriously. One day a cockroach appeared in the bathroom; she had to kill it herself. Another day she ran out of toilet paper and she... Well she doesn't want to remember.

All in all she admits that she deserves it a little, but in her defence _it was poop. Poop. Human poop_.

"Come on, Tobio, please." She can't believe that she _has_ to beg for this. "Hinata isn't home, it's been two weeks since the last time you did it and I really need it."

She nuzzles her nose against Kageyama's cheek, softly, sensually.

"I'm not in the mood right now."

"But yesterday you said that you'll do it today, and I consented to it because I know you don't like to do it when Hinata is watching." Yachi is pouting, her nose on his nose.

"Ugh. Maybe later?" Kageyama pulls a face, he can't really deny Yachi anything when she pouts.

"No, now. Hinata will be here soon and then you won't do it! Come on!"

Kageyama whines and groans, trying to escape from Yachi.

"Tobio!" Exasperatedly, Yachi stands from the couch, placing her hands on her hips. "Clean the fucking toilet! It's your turn! You pee in it too!"

Saved by the sound of the door slamming open, Kageyama's victory shows on his smile. One second later Hinata storms inside, gasping for air. He must have run because he's rubbing his knee and his face is all red.

"Guys!" He manages to speak, still gasping for air. "Something... Happened... I- I..."

Yachi approaches him, dirty toilet forgotten, and asks worriedly: "Hey, are you okay? Relax, breath..."

"I'm okay... I'm more than okay..." He takes a deep breath before shouting with his eyes sparkling, his face flushed and hair spiking everywhere, "I HAVE A DATE!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is a little late :(  
> My mom was sick and I was with her at the hospital.  
> And yes, according to my plan, 2 more chapters and we're done :P 
> 
> Or maybe not, who knows...

A _date_.

Hinata has a _date_. When did this happen? Yachi tries to make her voice work, she really tries, because she has to ask, she has to know why Hinata has a date with someone who isn't them. She is staring at Hinata, wide eyes full of surprise and shock, but she really shouldn't be so surprised, she knew this would happen sooner or later.

She's smart enough to know what's happening with her; the confidence she has been building brick by brick with her own effort and Kageyama's help is starting to stagger, threatening to fall and break into a million pieces. Since Hinata stormed into their lives the little fissures have been appearing one by one with every laugh, every gaze and every innocent touch. Hinata's news is like a hammer slamming her chest, shoving her heart up into her throat. Yachi knows why she isn't happy for Hinata and she hates herself for it. Her guts are screaming though her face displaying a cracked smile.

Kageyama has been feeling this too, even though he's oblivious to his own feelings, he has been like an open book to her eyes. Even so she fears Kageyama's changes, she's afraid for them, how this whole situation will change their relationship.

She should say something, how many minutes have they been in silence?

"Wow, that's—" she croaks "great." She kicks Kageyama on the shin.

Kageyama's usual tanned face is now white as a sheet. Despite Yachi's hit he doesn't say a word.

"Right?" Hinata says exultant. "I wasn't expecting him to ask me out, but he's so cool..." Hinata heads to his room, but pauses before opening the door. "You know what would be awesome? A double date." He turns again and goes into his room without shutting the door.

Now that Hinata can't see her, Yachi raises both of her hands to her mouth as if doing that could shove her heart down again. A big, ugly word forms in her mind. This can't be happening, she can't be _jealous_. She's not allowed to feel that; not when she has Kageyama, not when she has Kageyama and Hinata has nobody.  

Without waiting for Hinata to come back Yachi rushes to her own room, wanting to calm her throbbing heart and her heavy breathing.

She blinks some tears away as she changes quickly into her sleeping clothes and lays on the bed. A minute, she just needs a minute to clear her mind because reality just hit her head with the force of a train, and realising that you're in love with two different people at the same time can be a very big train to stop with your bare hands.

Not even the squeaky noise of the bed nor Kageyama's arms around her waist make her mind stop spinning. What was she even thinking? A happy life with Kageyama and Hinata as some kind of third wheel? To condemn Hinata to a lonely life just because she wanted him to be by their side? Suddenly aware of the tears falling from her eyes and staining the pillow under her head she chokes a sob. The grip on her waist tightens as Kageyama nuzzles his nose in her hair.

And she silently cries. She cries because she loves them, she cries because she loves them to the point where she can't choose between them. She cries because she's going to lose one of them because she can't figure out how to handle this new and scary situation.

"I know," Kageyama whispers in her neck. And for the first time since they started dating it's Kageyama who gets the big picture, who holds her and keeps her from breaking into pieces.

 

* * *

 

Her mind is still numb in the morning. After a night without any sleep a huge headache sprouts behind her eyes.

Grateful for it being a Saturday she eats her breakfast lazily, staring blankly into the air as she chews whatever Kageyama placed in front of her. They don't talk, they stay in silence, Yachi's mind is too busy collapsing and the mere act of thinking hurts.

Kageyama, sitting by her side, is frowning but this is one of those rare situations in which she doesn't know what's he thinking.

"Hey." Hinata greets them with caution. Yachi sighs, even Hinata is aware of her mournful mood. Great.

"Hey." She greets back, forcing the most sincere smile she's capable of.

They eat in silence. Hinata's eyes jumping from Yachi to Kageyama, eating his muffin quietly.

This silence is painful. It's hurting Yachi and killing the little hope she held last night that things would be different in the morning. She can't be selfish, not when Hinata deserves to be happy.

"D-do you wanna go to grab some ice cream later?" She asks; being her old self is harder than she thought. "Tobio and I were thinking to—"

"I can't," Hinata interrupts her with eyes full of doubt, "I... I have a date today." He bites his lip, like he were restraining himself from saying somethings else.

"Oh, right. The date." Yachi drops her eyes to her lap. What else can she say? Ask him not to go? To stay with them? Unthinkable.

"Who's your date?" Kageyama has to ask it, of course.

Hinata's face lightens up for the first time since he entered the kitchen.

"Ah! You know him! It's Kenma. Do you remember? The penguin whisperer? He's so cool and smart.  I was gonna ask him out but he did it first." He looks at the time on his phone. "I have to get ready." He stands with a little jump and leaves the room happily humming a song.

"I'm gonna go too," Kageyama stands making his chair scrape against the floor.

"Wait Tobio, I think we need to talk." She walks behind him, following him through the living room to the front door.

"I have things to do." He decides to ignore her, grabbing his backpack from the rack by the door.

"Tobio! Don't— Tobio!" But the door is already closed, leaving her all alone, staring at the wooden surface where her boyfriend was standing a second ago.

She rubs her eyes furiously and holds her breath as if shutting her eyes tightly and wishing hard enough will keep things from falling apart.

 

* * *

 

The restaurant they're having dinner at is too fancy in Yachi's opinion; extremely white tablecloth, golden napkins, three sets of forks... Who the hell needs three forks to eat dinner? Who needs even _one_ fork? She shifts awkwardly, scared of pulling the tablecloth and making a mess. Yachi's eyes wander around the table: Kageyama, uncomfortably touching his tie, has his eyes glued to the plate, Hinata eats a piece of bread like a wild hamster and Kenma... Well, Kenma is staring at Hinata like he were the most interesting and most precious hamster in the world.

Hinata and Kenma have been dating for a month now and the idea of Hinata having a boyfriend sucks as much as the first day. She has to admit that she misjudged Kenma at first, she blames her jealousy for it, the guy is nice despite his weird and freakishly shy appearance.

The first time Kenma spent the night in Hinata's room Yachi had to leave the house, unable to stop picturing images inside her head. Kageyama, wasn't home with her; a new habit since that night in which Hinata told them _the news_.

Saying that she ran out of her apartment would be an understatement. She flew through the streets until she stopped in front of Kageyama's dorm doors. Scared of another fight with her boyfriend, Yachi bit her lip and twisted her hair with a finger before turning around and texting her friend Kiyoko, asking to stay for the night.

"So, let me understand this, you want to break up with Kageyama?" Kiyoko's nosey roommate, Saeko, was trying to comprehend her situation asking one question after another.

"No! Of course not! I love him." Yachi was exasperated and annoyed after all the questions.

"But you think you love this new guy, Hinata, right?"

"I don't think it, I know it." Yachi sighed, how many times did she have to explain it? "Look. I like them both, I love them both, differently, but it's _love_ , I'm sure of it."

Sitting in their pyjamas on Kiyoko's bed, Yachi felt like a fifteen year old again having a sleepover only instead of milkshakes and cookies they were having beer and nothing else.

"And Kageyama doesn't know?" Saeko insisted.

"I think he knows? I don't really know, he has been hard to read lately." Yachi took another sip of her beer, licking her lips afterwards. "That night a month ago he said 'I know' while I was crying. Maybe that means that he's feeling the same?"

Nodding and furrowing her brows, Saeko remained silent for a few seconds.

"Why haven't you talked to him about this? Ask him directly." Kiyoko leaned forward and placed her hand over Yachi's.

"Do you think I haven't tried? He's been so distant and angry and...Ugh! He's like another person. I— I don't know what to do." Yachi felt tears forming in her eyes and fought them blinking. That past month had been hard. The hardest in their relationship and Yachi was scared, her anxiety picking up day by day. It was true that she had tried to talk to Kageyama but he had shut himself out; his mood had changed, every time Yachi saw him he look shittier and shittier.

"Shit, Hitoka, don't cry. Here." Saeko passed her a box of pink tissues. "It sounds like you have to corner him and force him to speak. I'll help you hold him in place. I can even punch him if you want me to."

Laughing, Yachi blowed her nose once more before tossing the tissue in the trash can. "That won't be necessary, thanks. Though it's true that I will have to force him to speak..."

"Hitoka..." Kiyoko's voice was serious. "And what are you going to do after? What if he likes Hinata too? What if what he wants is not what you want? What if he doesn't want to be with you anymore? What if—"

"Wow, wow, slow down, that's a lot of 'what if's'. Don't stress her or she going to combust." Saeko said raising her voice.

"I just want her to be sure before doing anything," Kiyoko defended herself

Of course Yachi had been thinking about all those 'what ifs', her brain never stops, always working, always thinking about the possibilities. It's just that this time she pushed everything to the back of her mind, too scared to open that door.

"Anyway, you said that the kid has a boyfriend now. So there's nothing you can really do."

"At least she could try to fix her relationship with Kageyama."

The girls started bickering as Yachi curled around herself and closed her eyes. Maybe she was a little drunk, maybe she found a new spark of strength, but she didn't want to give up on Hinata. She was going to get Kageyama's shit together all by herself and fight for Hinata at the same time.

Despite all her sudden self confidence, it's easier said than done.

And now, sitting at this table, watching Hinata and Kenma exchange glances like two disgusting teenagers is making that confidence stumble.

"Kageyama, Kenma told me the other day that you could go inside the penguin habitat again next month if you want," Hinata does his best to break the ice but all he gets is a grunt from Kageyama.

"That would be great, right, Tobio?"

Another grunt.

Another awkward silence.

This double date is going _great_.

"Shouyou told me that you play volleyball." Kenma looks sheepishly at Kageyama, his eyes fixed on him.

_Shouyou?_

"Yeah, I do." At least, Kageyama communicates with something else than bear sounds.

"I played in high school too. Setter." Kenma says, eyeing Hinata, looking for reassurance. Hinata nods at him and Kenma keeps talking, "You play setter, right? Mmmh... Did your team ever got to Nationals?"

It's obvious that Kenma is putting forth a huge effort to make small talk with Kageyama. Hinata, sitting by his boyfriend's side, worries his lip, like he were waiting for the worst to happen.

"No."

"But his new team is really good! They sure will make it to nationals this year," Yachi joins to avoid a catastrophe.

More awkward silence.

When the first plate arrives they start eating quietly, looking at their food as they chew it slowly. Yachi's eyes raise from her soup, looking at (watching) Hinata and Kenma interact. When Hinata's hand slides down Kenma's arm a knife of jealousy stabs her stomach. A sweet smile, a cute giggle, an inviting gaze... All directed to (at) Kenma.

Kageyama breaks the silence, saying bitterly "You have three forks, but you have to eat with your fucking hands?"

With his mouth full of peas, Hinata half gasps half yelps in indignation.

"Is not like you have better manners, Bakageyama."

"I have better manners than you." Kageyama slams his fork on the table and glares at Hinata harshly.

"No, you don't." Hinata drops his bread on the table and glares back.

A nervous giggle floats over them from Yachi's side of the  table, "Guys..."

"I'm not the one farting while having dinner in the kitchen."

"It was _one_ time and it was your fault for using spoiled eggs for breakfast!" Hinata slams his hands on the table, earning a few concerned looks from the nearby tables.

"Oh, sorry for taking care of you," Kageyama says sarcastically, crossing his arms on his chest.

"Nobody asked you!"

"If you were more careful with your knee then we wouldn't had to bring you food in bed!"

Their voices raise in volume as the fight intensifies, Yachi fidgets nervously on her chair, Kenma's eyes are fixed on his food, his ears red in embarrassment.

"Guys..."

"I am careful!" Hinata's voice trembles, this is not a comfortable subject for him to discuss in public, and by the looks he darts to kenma, neither in front of his boyfriend.

"Obviously not, when you're in pain so often. But what can I say if your imprudence was what got you injured in first place—" Kageyama shuts his mouth suddenly, very aware of the line he has crossed. Oh, the line is so far he can't even see it. With her hands over her mouth, Yachi gasps at the sudden movement.

By all the stories, all the conversations and all the discussions Kageyama and Hinata had had for the past two months about volleyball, Yachi knows that the boy in front of her used to be fast, agile and a lot stronger than now. Kageyama always said that Hinata _was bragging, that nobody can jump that high or run that fast with that height_. But, in this very moment, when a blur of orange is jumping over the table and punching her boyfriend straight in the face she can't disagree more with Kageyama.

Less than two minutes after, the four of them are standing on the street, kicked out of the restaurant by one of the most scary looking security guards Yachi has seen in her life.

"Look what you have done." Kageyama's voice is muffled by a ton of blood stained tissues on his nose.

Yachi's lips are trembling and even if she wants to say something, to try to fix this mess, her voice seems dead in her throat. A huge rift is growing between them, dark and scary and Yachi doesn't know what to do.

Hinata doesn't answer, just glares at Kageyama before shooting Yachi an ashamed and apologetic look. Then, grabbing Kenma's hand, he starts to walk away from them before pausing; he turns and says, "Fuck you, Kageyama, I thought we were friends," before leaving.

 

* * *

 

The door of Yachi's apartment slams open as they make their way into the living room. Yachi's anger steams through her skin but she manages to contain it. She doesn't usually get mad, if anything she used to worry about everything, but no, she never gets angry. Until today.

"You shouldn't have done that," she says shortly, gritting her teeth. Kageyama says nothing, he can't, not with a paper towel pressing his nose to stop the bleeding. "I can't believe you, seriously. What is wrong with you? What has been wrong with you for the last three weeks?"

Yachi's hands are trembling, she's losing her shit faster than she thought, she can't control herself anymore. She's has been taking all Kageyama's crap for three weeks, she accepted his decision on sleeping in his dorm, she accepted the grunts as a new form of communication, she told herself that Kageyama not kissing her didn't mean that he doesn't love her... She's sick of bullshit.

"I— I don't know," Kageyama finally answers with a small voice.

"Don't give me that! You know it, but you don't want to admit it."

"I don't want to talk about this." Kageyama turns around, ready to open the door again when Yachi jumps between him and the exit.

Yelling or shouting is not Yachi's thing, she's not good at being angry and mad at anything. Maybe that one time she spilled juice over her laptop, ruining her big paper about the Ancient Rome sculpture and  its propagandistic purposes. Damn, she went nuts. Above all she didn't yell as much as she should because she doesn't see the point of yelling.

Now, standing in front of Kageyama, after weeks of repression, a volcano explodes in her throat, spilling all the ugly she has been keeping inside.

"No!" She yells. Knowing that she doesn't have the physical strength to stop him from leaving she turns her face into a mask of determination, hoping it will be enough to stop Kageyama. "Don't you dare run away again! You've been running away for three weeks but I'm not going to let you anymore."

Kageyama maintains the eye contact as much as he can before giving up and sitting on the couch with a 'tch' leaving his lips. He looks defeated and small despite being so big and Yachi's heart skips a bit because the love she feels for him is almost unbearable, and that love is what is fueling her will to fight.

"You're not a coward." She spits, her chest hurting. "Stop running. Talk to me."

"I can't." Kageyama whispers wearing a scared expression. He folds his arms around himself protectively.

It's painful to talk, it's difficult to find the right words, Yachi knows, and looking at how lost Kageyama seems in front of her melts her heart. She kneels before him and places her hands on Kageyama's on both sides on the couch, a little scared of touching him.

"You can, I'll help you." Her voice softens, her eyes seek Kageyama's until they meet. His eyes are unexpectedly glossy but there's no tears on his face. "What about if I start? I could tell you what I think is happening with you and me and you can tell me afterwards, sounds good?"

Kageyama nods gulping.

 

It's time, Yachi tells herself. She's not shaking at all, her body is steady, her mind balanced and ready to be the bravest she's ever been in her life. Maybe in the future she will confront worse, but now she feels powerful. It doesn't matter what happens next.

"I'm in love with Hinata." It's done. Kageyama's eyes widens and the grip on his own arms tightens. He's going to talk but Yachi raises a finger to his lips to keep him from talking until she's done. "Wait, please."

Kageyama nods again. His body is shaking and Yachi is secretly glad that she's being the strong one for once.

"I'm in love with Hinata but that doesn't mean I don't love you anymore. To be clear, I'm in love with both of you." Slowly, Yachi's hands make their way over the couch to Kageyama's thighs, hips and finally, arms. She unfolds them a little forcefully, bringing down his defensive pose, and entwining their fingers together. "I don't really know the exact moment it happened. He's special, right? His laugh, his contagious cheerfulness and vitality... I—" she shrugs, "I don't know how to explain it. Watching you both when the three of us are together is kinda overwhelming. At first I thought I didn't know he was the source of this feeling too, but I knew after a while that... Well, that I love you, the two of you. And if you love—"

"No—"

"—him too it's okay. I saw how you look at him, I'm not blind or stupid, I can tell that you care about him, that you feel something bigger—"

"No, stop!"

"—than friendship. We can, I don't know, maybe make this work..."

"I said no! STOP TALKING, FUCK!" Kageyama stands abruptly, making Yachi lose her balance and fall on the floor on her butt with a yelp.

"Tobio..."

"This is sick, THIS IS WRONG!" He screams, eyes wide and unfocused. "You love him! I— I— are you going to break up with me? Are you two gonna leave me?" Kageyama starts panting, "And- and what if I love him too? It doesn't matter because I can't— This is so fucking wrong." Kageyama yells, fist full of hair and pacing frantically.

"I don't want to break up with you," Yachi whispers hiccuping from the floor, her legs weak, boneless. "Do- do you want to- to break up with me?" She asks, the words slipping painfully through her lips.

With his arms frozen over his head, Kageyama turns too slowly to look at her with horror. "I— no, I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Yachi asks, voice as quiet as a feather falling on the floor.

Without answering, Kageyama groans in frustration as he makes his way to the apartment door, he hesitates before grabbing the doorknob, an inaudible word leaves his lips and then he's gone.

This time Yachi doesn't even try to stop him, she can't breath, she can't think about anything but Kageyama's last words over and over again as she if were in her worst nightmare. The worst case scenario replays before her, in the empty apartment. The same walls that once observed the best moments of her life now are falling over Yachi under the weight of all her fears coming true at once.

_Stupid_ . She was so naive, thinking that everything would be ok, that if you try hard enough you could fix everything. _Stupid_ . A sob breaks the thick silence of the room and Yachi finds herself curled on the same spot Kageyama left her, with her knees up and her face buried in them. _Stupid_ . Her shoulders shaking, her body trembling with every choked cry. _Stupid_.

Two hours later Hinata finds her in that same position. Yachi isn't crying anymore but her head feels like it were stuffed with cotton.

"Yachi!" Hinata's voice echoes in her brain like a pinball. She doesn't move, her body hurts, her head hurts, her chest hurts. Hinata rushes to kneel by her side, lifting his hands, wanting to touch but not daring to do it. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Finally, Hinata touches her, he lands his fingers in her hair, caressing it softly. Then, he makes her lift her face from her knees, leaving a wet pool of tears and something not as clean as tears.

"Hey," he says with a soft voice, looking directly into Yachi's puffy and red eyes. "What happened? Where's Kageyama?"

She doesn't answer, she just shrugs and blinks blankly at some point over Hinata's right shoulder.

Clear tears begin to fall again like a cascade, Yachi can't contain them anymore, even though she thought she didn't have more tears to cry.

Biting his lip, Hinata lets a tiny whine leave his throat and practically launches himself over the girl, hugging her, rubbing his hands over her back until he pauses his palms one on Yachi's nape and the other one over the small of her back.

The warmth of Hinata's body is so comforting that she leans toward him instantly, nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck. She longs for touch and affection, everything Kageyama denied her for weeks.

"It's okay." Hinata breathes near her ear.

"Nothing is okay, Hinata! I'm sorry... He— he didn't meant to—" Yachi answers with a strangled and hoarse voice from all the crying.

"Hey, hey, shh, I know..." He pauses to take a deep breath. "What happened?" He asks again without moving. His tone is cautious but sweet.

Yachi's doesn't want to answer because that would mean thinking about the things Kageyama said to her. But the warm scent coming from Hinata's body engulfs her, like an unspoken promise of eternal summer. He's here with her, he's not going to leave, the promise says. That's why she says, with cold fear, "I don't know... We had a fight... I think Kageyama broke up with me but—"

"What!?" Hinata squeaks, leaning back and looking at Yachi's in shock.

With trembling lips, Yachi forces herself to not look away. After the shock, Hinata's gaze intensifies with all kinds of emotions at once, fear, concern, guilt, astonishment... _Love_?

The overwhelming weight of Hinata's wide and big brown eyes crawls over her skin and suddenly Yachi finds herself sliding her gaze down to his pink and slightly parted lips. They shine tentatively close.

Yachi's cheeks turn red when she realises she's leaning forward, her cheeks begin to glow red when she also realise that Hinata is leaning to kiss her too.

They stop when their lips are so close their noses are touching. Their breath caressing each other's skin.

The only sound reverberating inside Yachi's head is the loud beat of her heart, throbbing against her ribs like a desperate animal trying to escape from its cage.

After what seems like hours, Hinata stands breathing like he just ran a marathon and the same scene repeats again: Yachi on the floor, looking and the man she loves making his way to the door, leaving her.

"I'm sorry," Hinata whispers like Kageyama did no more than two hours ago before closing the door behind him.

This is wrong. Nothing is okay. _Is this what happens when you try?_

Because Yachi feels sick.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your messages!! I think I've answered all of them.  
> Thanks, mAri, for everything <3 love you very lots!

"What are you doing here?" A voice asks. Actually, it's the same question Kageyama is askin) himself. Standing under the door frame of exercise room 2 in the physical therapy clinic, Kageyama stares at the man in front of him, blocking his sight. "I told you yesterday, that was our last session."

Of course Kageyama knows, he heard well when his therapist told him that, but where else could he go? His mind has been like thick fog for the last couple of days and he needs to keep himself occupied to not feel the throbbing pain in his chest. He just wants  _ to not think _ .

Kageyama nods and stutters uncomfortably "bu-but maybe I could—"

"No, go home. Stop pushing yourself. You have done well, now rest." The man puts his hands on Kageyama's shoulders and forces him to turn around. "Go home with your boyfriend and enjoy the last days of summer."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, that little guy with orange hair who came with you a couple of times?"

Gritting his teeth, Kageyama scrunches his nose and leaves the room without looking back.   _ Hinata _ , it's always him. He can't run away.

Kageyama steps outside the clinic not knowing where to go next. The last thing he wants is to lie down on his bed and let his brain fuck itself all over again, so he plugs his earbuds deep inside his ears, turns the volume up and walks ahead to his dorm because he doesn't have any other fucking choice.

Once inside the room his finger runs over his phone screen, scrolling down the messages. Most of them are from Yachi. _Please, come see me, we need to talk. Where are you? I went to your room and you weren't there. Answer the phone. Damn, Tobio, answer your freaking phone, something happened_. But there's one from Hinata too. _I'm_ _sorry_.

Kageyama doesn't know what pisses him off more: Hinata apologising or the fact that he had forgiven him already.

Tossing the sheets of the bed he tests his shoulder moving it up and down. The physical therapist was right, he's fully recovered, the pain —the discomfort even— is gone. Kageyama has to admit that since he's avoiding Hinata, his healing process has quickened.

The last time he felt the pain on his shoulder it was Hinata who put it there. Kageyama was unlocking the door of Yachi's apartment when he heard the first scream. Rushing inside the living room he was welcomed by an unexpected scene: Yachi was pressed against a wall, panting and screaming, pure terror painted on her face as Hinata jumped from the table to the floor and sprinted over the couch.

"What's going—" Kageyama really wanted to finish the question, he was confused by the madness in front of his eyes, but a sudden movement cut his words; bending his knees, and still standing over the couch, Hinata swung his arms, taking the biggest jump Kageyama had ever seen. Hinata's tongue was poking out of the corner of his lips, his eyes focused on something above his head.

Like in a dream, Kageyama felt his body slow and heavy as he threw himself forward, ready to catch that dumbass who was  _ fucking flying _ . Hinata's hair brushed the ceiling right after a yelp of joy filled the room. Of course Hinata wasn't thinking about the consequences of his jump, and his panicked face twisted in the air as he realised his mistake.

With a thud, both boys hit the floor in a tangled mass of limbs and groans.

"Is the moth gone?" The muffled question came from behind the shut door of Yachi's room.

"Ugh." Kageyama whined taking a hold of his shoulder, trying to untangle himself from Hinata's legs. Said boy was still lying on the floor with his hands firmly pressed together in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Hinata said. "I hurt your shoulder again?"

"Yeah." Kageyama groaned and sitting up on the floor. "Do you have it?"

The bedroom's door opened to reveal a shaking Yachi.

"Yes, but I think I killed it." Hinata's voice was low and Kageyama looked at him worriedly.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"A little, maybe." Hinata wasn't paying attention to Kageyama. Taking a look at the bug between his hands he jumped on his feet, yelling 'ew ew ew' as he ran towards the bathroom.

Kageyama shook his head in disbelief. What a moron. He rubbed his aching shoulder and looked at Yachi, who was standing by his side with her hands clasped over her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Tobio! There was a moth flying around and Hinata was trying to catch it and then... I don't know what happened, I was so scared," the girl rambled nervously. "Does it hurt?"

"Not that much." Kageyama hugged her, showing her that he was okay. "Where's the butterfly net we bought last summer?"

"We couldn't find it." She answered with a pout. Last summer. Kageyama had discovered Yachi's over exaggerated fear of moths, which) made them buy a butterfly net to avoid panicked scenarios like the one that had just occurred.

"I definitely smashed it." Hinata left the bathroom drying his hands on his shorts, his face contorted in a disgusted grimace. I'm sorry I hurt you, Kageyama."

"You better be, dumbass! Why the hell did you jump like that?" Kageyama wasn't angry at all, but he wasn't going to let Hinata know that. "You could have injured yourself."

"I said I'm sorry, okay? I had to do something, you didn't see her, she was  _ freaking out _ !!"

Yachi giggled from her comfortable spot in the middle of Kageyama's chest. "Yes, I was."

"Anyway, I have a question," Hinata didn't wait for them to nod and asked right away, "how did you injure your shoulder? You said it wasn't playing volleyball..." The boy walked through the room and closed the window to avoid other moths coming inside the apartment and sat on the couch with a huff, rubbing his sore knee.

Not hearing any response from the couple, Hinata raised his head to find two beet red faces staring at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Hinata asked, confused.

"We... Well, we were—"

"It's none of your business dumbass!"

Kageyama curls around himself, lying sideways on his bed. At that moment he was so grateful for Hinata's short attention span and thanked the gods for his friend's obliviousness.

Hinata. Again. He is everywhere, and he  _ needs _ to forget about him. Kageyama presses a pillow against his head and prays for sleep to come to him as soon as possible.

 

* * *

 

Two days later he finds himself standing in front of a building he has been avoiding for the past three months like the pest. The sound of squeaking shoes and shouts echoing inside fill his ears and he drinks them like water in the desert. His heart jumps of joy, but his brain tells it to calm down, they're not there to play, not yet, they have to wait a little longer.

Kageyama likes his teammates, he truly likes them, but he also finds it truly difficult to speak, be near or hang out with them when all they can do is remind him of a sport he can't play at the moment, it's very painful. Is it the same for Hinata? They had talked together about volleyball infinite times and it didn't bother Kageyama as much as it upset him being around his teammates and not being able to play. Now he wonders if Hinata ever felt the same...

"I'm telling you the truth," Hinata had said one time, both boys sprawled on Yachi's floor under the ceiling fan waiting for her to come back with, they hoped, at least three tons of ice cream. "I blocked him at least four times in that match."

Kageyama snorted, he didn't believe Hinata, obviously. "You're exaggerating, if you had done that your arms would have fallen off."

"No! I'm telling you! I blocked Ushiwaka's spikes!" Hinata began to stand but the heat made him think otherwise and lied down again, but this time sideways and with a hand under his chin in order to glare holes into Kageyama's skin. "Ok, not all of them but..."

"But how did you even reach that high? You're so sh—" Kageyama began to actually feel the holes on his skin, " not so tall."

"I told you, I can jump." The annoyance in Hinata's glare melted away leaving a sad and melancholic veil over his brown eyes. "Or I could... Whatever." He leaned down again with a thud on the floor and they watched the spinning fan above them in silence until Kageyama reached for Hinata's head and patted it softly, earning a few seconds of giggles from said head.

All in all, Kageyama enjoyed his volleyball talk with Hinata and thinking about him not enjoying it makes his heart... No! Not Hinata again! Ugh.

"Oh! Kageyama!" A voice saves his poor beaten up brain. "What a surprise, what are you doing here?"

"Sawamura, captain!" Kageyama's body stiffens under the sudden presence of one of his teammates. He jogs to the gym door and bows awkwardly, feeling a light blush spreading on his cheeks, not understanding why he's so nervous about this; sure he hasn't seen his teammates in a long while, but he has texted them. Kind of.

"Glad to see you so well. So, you have news about your shoulder? Last week you were almost fully recovered, right?" Sawamura Daichi pats (thank god) his good shoulder and pushes him through the open gym door.

The smell of twenty players, thirty volleyballs, forty shoes, one net and something that brings an excited voice to his mind,  _ mmmh the smell of salonpas, Kageyama, the smell of the greatest tournaments _ , hits his nostrils.

A wave of overwhelming cheering screams welcome Kageyama as he makes his way into the gym. For anyone else, the warmth in his teammates' voices and the soft pats on his shoulders would be something nice and endearing, but not for Kageyama. He is shocked and his body goes rigid in fear as one face after another walks before his, grinning and asking questions non stop: " _ how are you? Are you fully recovered? We miss you. And your tosses! How's your summer going? Why didn't you answer my text? Are you here to practice with us again? _ "

Dizzy and confused, Kageyama blinks for a while before saying glibly: "huh..."

"Guys, guys, stop it," Daichi says, shushing the boys and making them take a step back. "Ten laps around the gym." When the boys don't move he adds, clapping just once, "now!!"

Groaning, the players begin to walk towards the door, changing their shoes before stepping outside. Kageyama can't help it and smiles, remembering when he was one of those groaning humans too.

"So, is it true? You can go back to practice again?" Daichi asks once they're alone inside the building.

"Not yet, I had the last doctor's appointment yesterday. She told me to take a few days to be completely sure, but I feel perfectly fine." Kageyama answers.

Daichi must sense the hesitation in Kageyama's voice because he immediately asks: "is everything okay, Kageyama?"

"I— I don't—"

"Easy, don't worry, you don't have to tell me. But, your shoulder is fine, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore. It's fine."

"Good." Daichi pauses to look intensely into Kageyama's eyes. "How is Yachi? Why didn't she come with you as always?"

There it is. The question Kageyama doesn't want to think about or answer because he doesn't know and he's afraid to find out. For the past few days, the hollow in his chest has become too wide and painful, he has been tempted to call his girlfriend —can he even still call her that?— but the shame and fear has been stronger than him. No, he can't talk to her, not when, maybe, he can't love her the way she deserves, not when he can't love her and only her. Despite his fears, Kageyama is sure that he loves her, he loves her so much it hurts. He misses her so much it hurts. He wants her so much it hurts.

He misses the way she ran her fingers through his hair at night, the way she smiled at him over the cup of coffee every  morning, the way she nuzzled her nose against his skin... Damn, he even misses the way she scolded him for not cleaning the toilet.

"Kageyama?"

The question snaps him out of his memories. Not knowing how to answer the previous questions he opts to open himself to his captain, his friend?

So, as they sit on the lowest step of the bleachers' stairs, Kageyama, in his awkward and unorganised way, tells Daichi about Hinata, about Yachi and about how messed up is everything is in his life right now.

"Hinata, huh?" Daichi says reflectively with his index finger under his chin.

"You know him?" Kageyama asks with his head still low in embarrassment after his whole confession.

"Maybe. Orange hair? Short and loud?" Daichi asks, moving his hands around to illustrate his very accurate description of Hinata. Kageyama nods, raising an eyebrow, confused. "Then yeah, I know him. Well I don't  _ know _ him, I saw him sitting on the bench when we played against his team. Don't you remember?"

Kageyama shakes his head. No, he doesn't remember Hinata. He barely remembers looking at the opposite team's bench at all, but his heart starts pounding at the missed opportunity to meet Hinata long before this summer.

"Sure he had a powerful jump. What a shame he doesn't play anymore," Daichi adds shaking his head. Muffled voices reach their ears as the team approaches the door again after finishing the ten laps run. The captain rubs his hands on his thighs and sighs. "I don't know what to tell you except to talk to Yachi and stop avoiding her. You're hurting her and yourself. I'm sure she's willing to talk about this." The two boys stand as the rest of the team starts stepping inside the gym again, all sweaty and panting. Suddenly, Kageyama feels grateful for keeping his jogging routine in the morning.

"T-thank you, captain," Kageyama blurts awkwardly, bowing as a goodbye.

Kageyama is walking towards the exit when Daichi calls him again: "oh, and, Kageyama, for your information, I think Hinata likes you both  _ back _ . Talk to him after Yachi." And with that Daichi shows him one thumbs up and turns to continue with the training.

Clenching the front of his shirt, Kageyama's heart stops, and he's sure that it doesn't beat again after he's ten blocks away from his college.

For the first time in weeks his head feels light, as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, chest and soul.

Kageyama wanders around the city, an activity he's been avoiding for too long.

At a slow pace, his legs carry him to the beach, and immediately he recognises the big rock standing heavy not far from him. Kageyama takes off his shoes and takes a few steps onto the warm sand. As he approaches the crag, the memory of the three of them, Kageyama, Yachi and Hinata, pops in his mind.

It was a late afternoon, Kageyama, can't remember exactly how long it was, but the sky was pink and orange above their heads and the heat was melting the ice cream in their hands faster than their mouths could eat it.

They ate and laugh(ed), cheeks stained with melted cream and fingers sticky as they playfully tried to poke each other. Hinata had a huge trail of chocolate slipping down the front of his yellow shirt and Yachi was complaining about all the sand glued to her hands.

"Let's clean up!" Hinata said, the pink in the sky quickly fading away into a dark blue.

"I didn't bring any wipes," Yachi complained, her hands up, trying not to get more sand on them.

Hinata laughed at that, his only answer was taking off his shirt and shorts before running into the wavy sea in front of them.

"Wait, dumbass, you're gonna drown." Kageyama said taking off his clothes and running after Hinata with a completely  _ not fake  _ frown on his face.

Seeing Kageyama run after him, Hinata half yelped half giggled, almost falling on the sand.

Yachi followed them right after with a scream of joy.

Just like that, in their underwear, they splashed water like a bunch of kids, they laughed like maniacs and played like fifteen years old enjoying the beginning of a summer camp without any worries, without any baggage behind them.

Resting a hand on the gritty surface of the rock Kageyama remembers how he grabbed Hinata's waist, how he launched him back into the water and how he laughed to the point of having to stop to take a deep breath. He remembers how Yachi swam towards him to avenge her fallen friend and how Kageyama embraced her, pushing their lips together and licking his way into his girlfriend's mouth. He remembers how he missed another pair of lips to kiss right after that and how Hinata had tackled them into the water a few seconds after, not minding the intimate moment the pair was having.

A voice speaks in his head.

_ How can you say that it is  _ wrong _ when it feels so  _ right.

Kageyama makes his way back to the streets with his brows furrowed in annoyance at how right Yachi  _ always _ is. He's so stupid, he's so stubborn for not listening to Yachi's words when she was opening her heart to him. Fuck. He made her cry. Fuck. He fucked up everything so bad.

A familiar building emerges before him when his eyes raise from the gray concrete beneath his shoes. The aquarium. Of fucking course. The last drop his glass needs.

People are leaving the building in tight groups, chattering happily. They must be closing for the day. Kageyama's eyes move fast around the crowd, not sure what he's looking for, when a loud laugh makes his way into his chest, making it twist. He snaps his head around but there's no orange hair in sight.

"Fuck!" He says out loud in the middle of the crowd , gaining a few concerned looks and a few scared ones too.

"Hey." The voice is almost a whisper but Kageyama hears it loud as he recognises the person who said it. A shiver creeps over his body at a cellular level and a 'not now' vibrates against his lips trying to escape from the annoyance that starts to fill his body. "It was Kageyama, right? Your name."

A pair of wide and sharp golden eyes are staring at Kageyama when he turns his head to the right.

"Hey... Kenma." Kageyama greets between his teeth.

They look at each other for a few seconds, people walking around them, dodging them, being happy and cheerful around their awkward and weird bubble.

Not ready to face Kenma with a still half short-circuited brain, Kageyama moves his body to start running away if necessary when a question makes him freeze in place: "how's Shouyou doing?"

"Wha- what do you mean?" Kageyama asks confused.

"I mean what I asked. How is Shouyou doing." Kenma's face is emotionless, but a slight urgency ringing in his voice tells  Kageyama everything he has to know.

"Why are you asking me that? Aren't you his  _ boyfriend _ ?" It's not Kageyama's intention to spit the world so rudely, but he couldn't help it.

"So you don't know?" Kenma tilts his head to the side.

"What are you talking about?" Kageyama was a second apart from freaking out.

"Shouyou and I broke up a few days ago. Didn't he tell you?"

"I-I haven't seen him— what?"  _ Now _ Kageyama is freaking out. "He— you— what happened?"

"Mmh... I broke up with him." Something like a shadow of sadness passes across Kenma's features for a second, but he recomposes himself immediately.

"You? But why? He's perfect, he's the best—" Kageyama shuts up after realising what was he saying.

"Yeah... As I thought." Kenma shakes his head slowly, his blond hair dancing around his face, making it difficult for Kageyama to see the other boy's expression. "There is your answer. I can't be in the middle of this. He needs to sort himself out before anything. I don't want to be anybody's second choice."

"I still don't understand."

Kenma gives Kageyama a meaningful look —a look the boy still doesn't get— before saying:

"Oh, God, you're as dense as Shouyou." After breathing out an exasperated sigh, Kenma bites his lip and walks away from a stunned Kageyama. "He's in love with you and Yachi, you idiot." He adds before disappearing in the crowd.

Kageyama has lost the count of how many times he has cursed throughout the day, but, once again,  _ fuck _ .

 

* * *

 

The orange lilies outside Yachi's window are dripping wet, leaving a trail of water going down the street.

_ They're home. Good _ , he thinks as he takes his keys out of his pocket. Jumping two steps at a time, the staircase seems much longer than usual and he starts panting. After all, he has been running all the way from the aquarium.

Not that he cares, his heart already went crazy after Kenma's words. He didn't waste any second thinking, it's obvious he's not good at thinking, so he ran. He ran for his life, he ran to fix all the shit he has spread everywhere.  _ It's too late, you lost Hitoka, you lost Hinata. You lost them and it's all your fault _ . For once, he's scared for the right motives.

Kageyama drops his keys on the floor as he fumbles for the keyhole without seeing anything because all the sweat that is dripping over his eyes. Wiping it quickly, the key finally unlocks the door.

"Hitoka!" He calls immediately after stepping inside. "Hinata!"

The girl sitting on the couch is looking at him with wide brown eyes, and mouth agape. Kageyama's heart swells as he kneels in front of her, between her legs, like she did not long ago with him, and he hugs her, tightly, putting all he has in it.

"Hitoka, Hitoka... I'm an idiot, I'm so stupid, you were so, so right." Kageyama lets his brain vomit everything he has been keeping inside, poisoning him through the days. "You knew, and I knew but I didn't want to see it because it felt  _ wrong _ ... But it's not wrong, it's— I don't know what it is, but it can't be wrong when it makes us feel this way." Kageyama takes a deep breath and the smell of Yachi's shampoo soothes him. "I'm sorry, please, forgive me. Tell me that it's not too late for us. I— I love you." He runs his hands up an down over Yachi's back. But the girl doesn't answer.

Worried, Kageyama pulls her away, just a little to look at her face, and that's when he notices her puffy eyes, her skin pale as a corpse.

"It doesn't matter anymore," she whispers. New tears forming in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Kageyama asks confused and scared.

"He's  _ gone _ , Tobio!" She yells in his face as she stands up, pushing Kageyama away. "I called you! I looked for you  _ everywhere _ ! You weren't answering your  _ fucking _ phone!" Kageyama's mouth falls open hearing Yachi swearing. She's mad, really mad, and that makes Kageyama shiver in fear. "He came home crying and I didn't know what to do when he shut himself inside his bedroom!"

"W-what happened?"

"I don't know!!" She yells hysterically. "That's why I called you! And today, I came back home to find this letter—" her voice lowers in volume, her tears leaking down her cheeks and staining her shirt. She lifts her right hand, a white paper between her shaking fingers, and sniffs loudly before pressing the note against Kageyama's chest. "—and all his things gone."

Kageyama doesn't take the paper, instead he blinks in disbelief, his breathing picking up by the second. "No, no, no, no, no—" he says, standing up. Yachi's tears keep falling silently as her eyes follow Kageyama's clumsy movements to Hinata's bedroom. His eyes run over the almost empty room: the futon is neatly folded in a corner, a forgotten shirt hanging on the chair and a pair of dark metal bars rest on the wall by the door. Hinata's crutches.

"I told y-you." Yachi sobs from behind.

Holding the door frame to keep himself from falling, Kageyama's blank eyes drift away from his worst case scenario to Yachi.

He wants to scream, he wants to swear at the top of his lungs at his own stupidity. He wants to kick and make a fuss like a two year old. But the small girl in front of him has taught him better. All in all Kageyama can't afford breaking apart when Yachi is suffering, so he takes her example, he makes her bravery his and stops his tears from falling from his eyes.

With this thought in mind, Kageyama slowly embraces Yachi's small frame, ready to take his arms back if the girl rejects him. Though Yachi flinches slightly at the movement she practically launches herself on Kageyama's chest, gripping the front of his shirt and crying with newfound desperation. Wet hot tears instantly dampen the fabric, but that's the last of Kageyama's worries, and he just hugs her tighter, nuzzling his nose in her hair the way she likes to do to him.

"Sshh," he murmurs, his big hand caressing her back up and down. "I'll fix this. I swear. I'll fix this for you, for me."  He kisses the top of her head once, twice. His hands slide down her sides until they're resting on her hips. With soft, tender kisses Kageyama's lips find their way to Yachi's wet cheek. Drying the wetness with his warm breath he kisses her eyelids carefully, pulling a soft sigh from her throat.

If it were for Kageyama he would spend the rest of the night adoring the tiny girl between his arms, but Yachi pushes him gently before looking directly into his eyes with an intensity full of hope and love.

"So you found out."

Immediately Kageyama remembers his conversation with Kenma no more than two hours ago, but he doubts that Yachi is talking about the same thing.

"About what?" He asks brushing his nose against hers.

Yachi pulls away. As much as she wants to cuddle and kiss the life out of Kageyama, she wants to talk first.

"About how much you like Hinata," she says smiling. The truth in those words makes Kageyama blush furiously, making Yachi laugh. "Don't worry, I like him a lot too... Also, I love you."

God, Kageyama wants to kiss her and hug her until her eyes pop out. Reconciliations are the best thing in the world.

"Yeah, I like him. He really is special."

At that moment a wave of emotion crosses Yachi's face. Happiness first, admiration right after, but they faded away when sadness covers her eyes.

"I thought you broke up with me, or that you wanted to, I don't know." She shrugs a little.

"Never. I love you too much. I-I thought that I didn't deserve you. I couldn't love you and only you."

"But it's okay! I know you really love me! And I want to be by your side as long as you want me to." Kageyama smiles fondly at Yachi's sincere words and the only thing he can do is nod and kiss her temple. "I promise I'll do the same."

They decided to continue the conversation lying entwined on the bed despite the heat inside the small room. Kageyama doesn't want to let her go, not even when she has to go to the bathroom and he patiently waits by the door.

Kageyama tells her how his doctor gave him permission to start playing volleyball again,  _ but take it easy at first, Tobio _ , about his visit to the team,  _ how are they? Is Daichi still dating that cute girl? _ , about his conversation with his captain,  _ I'll need to thank him later _ , and, finally, about everything Kenma told him.

"What? Why?" Yachi raises her head from Kageyama's chest. "Kenma broke up with Hinata?" She yelps indignantly. "But Hinata's the best! What kind of monster wouldn't want him?"

"Well, Kenma said that Hinata is in love, but not with him. That's why."

"With whom?"

Kageyama gives Yachi a pointed look.

"With whom?" She insists.

"I thought you were smart, Hitoka." Kageyama teases with a side smile.

After a few seconds Yachi's eyes widens in realisation. "Holy shit!" She exclaims jumping to stand up on the bed, kneeling on Kageyama's crotch — _ nng, fuck! _ — in the meantime. "Holy shit! We have to find him!"

"T-the... note?" Is the only response Kageyama can manage to pull out of his throat that is not a wail. His face is red and hands between his legs.

"No. He doesn't say anything about that on the note, he just thanks us and apologises for everything." Yachi's brain is working a mile a minute, too concentrated to be concerned about her newly sterile boyfriend. "And he's not answering his phone either."

"Nnng."

"Oh! Tobio!" Finally Yachi kneels down on the bed again. "I'm so sorry! Here." She kisses the top of the hands that are still holding his half dead dick.

"Stop."

"I'm so sorry!" She keeps kissing Kageyama's hands and apologising.

"Stop!"

"What!"

"I may know who we could ask," Kageyama says as he wipes some tears in his eyes.

"Who?" Before Kageyama can answer Yachi shouts, "Kenma!!" Jumping of the bed, kicking Kageyama's shin.

"Ugh, you're killing me," he whines as he rubs the sore spot. "I guess I deserve it," he adds whispering.

"I think I have his number!" Yachi's voice comes muffled from the living room where she's looking for her phone. "Hinata called him once from my cell when his battery was dead."

She comes back to the bed with the phone in her hand and a grin on her face.

"When should we call him?" She asks with sparkling eyes.

 

* * *

 

Kenma's face is contorted in an annoyed grimace. The first real expression the couple  see (had seen) on the boy's face.

"I don't know," Kenma says trying to dodge them.

After waiting for him outside the aquarium for a whole hour, they feel pretty impatient. Kageyama and Yachi jumped on him like two hungry hyenas.

"But you have to know something," Kageyama says blocking Kenma's way. "You were his boyfriend."

"I was, yes. But I wasn't the person he wanted." Kenma frowns and sighs, finally giving in. "I really really like him, but he was always talking about you, everything we did reminded him of you, and I was tired. I don't like to waste my time. After that dinner we talked, he confirmed my suspicions and we decided to try for a while, but he wasn't happy at all." Kageyama and Yachi listen in silence, drinking every word of information Kenma is giving them. "I didn't know that he was planning to leave when we broke up, though I understand him, he was really confused and he's not the kind of guy that confronts the things he does not understand."

"Even if he didn't tell you he was leaving, didn't he mention any other address, friends? Any names?" Yachi asks, scared of finding out that they were at a dead end.

"I don't know..." Kenma answers after a short pause. "Does the name  _ Oikawa Tooru _ sound familiar to you?"

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I LIED. Just one more chapter, an epilogue and this story ends.
> 
> Thanks to everybody who left kudos, comments or just clicked on this fic, even if you just ran away scared of the awful writing of the first chapters lol
> 
> Thanks to [Mari](http://ghost--fox.tumblr.com/), who helped me make all this understandable. ily <3
> 
> Don't worry, the epilogue is going to be all fluff.

Yachi considers herself a patient person. She is used to waiting patiently in line when an old lady decides to pay for four bags of cat food only with 1¥ coins —losing track of the count two times, she even waits patiently at work for someone to drown —and it only happened once in three months,  _ guess who _ . Waiting never has been an issue for Yachi, 'patient' is her second name for a reason. Except for this week. Four days of pain until she finally finished her job contract, and with their college classes around the corner they don't have time to waste.

"What are you doing?" Kageyama asks sitting on the couch by her side. The girl has her feet on the coffee table, her laptop resting on her thighs. "Wow, that is expensive!" Kageyama exclaims looking at the screen over Yachi's shoulder.

"I know, but tomorrow is my last day." She says with her eyes fixed on the computer screen. "I'm sorry we had to wait."

"Don't—" Kageyama passes an arm around her shoulders and kisses her head, "—worry. You couldn't just leave your job."

It has been weird, the past few days, being in the apartment, too quiet and too loud at the same time, their voices echoing like in a large cave. Everything was in place, each room like always, but, at the same time, nothing was right. Yachi feels alienated in her own home, just Kageyama's presence by her side keeps her from having a panic attack.

Smiling at her laptop, she clicks on the confirmation button, sealing their destiny. In two days they will leave to look for Hinata.

"Won't you get in trouble for missing your first day of practice?" She asks, closing the laptop with a soft 'clap', leaving it on the coffee table next to her bare feet.

"I hope not. I mean, Daichi has been very understanding lately, I think I'll be fine." He really hopes it; he doesn't want Daichi being mad at him ever again, he still remembers his dark expression and the lecture he gave him when he had to stop playing.

Humming in agreement Yachi leans her head against Kageyama's shoulder. He's still a little wet from the shower and little drops slide down his skin from his hair. Yachi collects one of those drops with a kiss and smiles, knowing the answer to the question she is about to ask.

"Have you called Iwaizumi?

"Uh, I— no, I haven't." He says ashamed.

"Tobio, you have to call him! We need to know if Hinata is with Oikawa for sure, and, above all, we need to know his address!"

"I know. Ugh, I promise I'll call him. It's just... You know... Hard."

Yes, Yachi understands. She was there the last time Kageyama had to revive his past and it wasn't pretty. Above all, Yachi trusts Kageyama, he'll call when he's ready; she just hopes it to be before they get there.

 

* * *

"I’m gonna call him." Kageyama says suddenly,  a little too loud, scaring Yachi and making her jump on her seat.

"Oh, thank god." She sighs with relief, one of her hands on her heart. "I was starting to think we were gonna get there and stand in the train station for hours with nowhere to go." She shouldn't be so harsh, but she was pretty worried already by the time they jumped on the train an hour ago. It was a three hour journey to Tokyo, a huge city, and they definitely need somewhere to start looking.

Kageyama doesn't answer, with the phone in front of his face, he stares at it with an intense look, preparing himself to call Iwaizumi, scared of Oikawa answering it.

At the same time he taps on the call button and presses the phone on his ear, Yachi leans in to hear the conversation from the other side of the phone.

"Kageyama! What the fuck did you do!!" Is all Kageyama gets as a greeting. No 'hey, Kageyama, how are you doing?' or 'so glad to hear from you, here's Hinata, he's waiting for you' like he was hoping. "I swear to god I'm going to kick you! You need to stop making my life so difficult."

"I— uh, hello I-Iwaizumi." Kageyama stutters

"Fuck! Just come get him." A loud shout makes Kageyama take the phone away from his ear. Someone is fighting in the background, but Kageyama can't understand a word of what they're saying.

"Is Hinata there?"

"He is, and Oikawa found out he's staying with me. He's pissed." Iwaizumi raises his voice to make himself heard above all the yelling.

"What's happening?" Yachi asks, worried. Kageyama waves his hand to let her know that he'll tell her later and she goes back to her previous position with her ear next to Kageyama's phone.

"He came a few days ago, completely wrecked... What the hell did you do to him? After all you yelled and complained over the phone — Fuck! You two, shut up for a second, I'm trying to have a conversation— and then you fuck up and send him back even more messed up..." Iwaizumi's voice is so tense and angry Kageyama feels his body shiver.

"I'm on my way to fix all this, I promise." Kageyama says, feeling like he's fifteen years old again being scolded by his senpai.

"You better be." And it sounds like a threat.

Gulping and looking blankly at the seat in front of him, all Kageyama wants is to shrink over himself and hide. "W-what's your a-address?" He asks weakly.

"I'll text it to y— Hinata, you savage, stop biting him!!— sorry I gotta go." With that Iwaizumi ends the conversation.

When Kageyama puts his phone inside his pocket again Yachi is all over him, waiting for an explanation. Kageyama doesn't know what to say, too stunned to say anything coherent, the conversation too chaotic to find any sense in it. He opens his mouth and shuts it again, not finding any words.

"Is he there?"

Kageyama nods.

"So?"

"He seemed angry. I hope not at us."

Leaning back on her seat and sighing Yachi runs her hand through her hair, combing it nervously as a new thought makes her worry again: the possibility of Hinata not wanting them there, rejecting them. Her lip trembles, her eyes flick under her closed eyelids.

"Tobio, what if he doesn't want us there? What if he ran away because of us?" Yachi asks without opening her eyes.

A warm hand lands on her arm, sliding down until fingers find fingers. Soft lips on her temple make her, finally, blink, releasing the tears trapped there.

"Don't think that. Kenma told me, you know it, and maybe I don't like the guy, but he knew what he was talking about. I trust him on this." Kageyama rubs a thumb on Yachi's palm, sure that the gesture will help the girl relax a little.

"But—"

"No, no. No buts. Let me worry for both and take care of everything for once...  I t's the least I can do after all." Kageyama's voice is confident and Yachi fears that his serious face is a façade.

 

* * *

 

After knocking three times, Iwaizumi opens the door. Following the directions he gave them via text message they had managed to arrive there in record time from the train station, more than 5 km away from Iwaizumi's place.

"Oh." Iwaizumi looks at them, lips forming a little 'o'  in surprise.

Yachi and Kageyama look at each other, confused. They are at the right place, aren't they? The girl looks at Kageyama looking for a confirmation, it's her boyfriend who knows Iwaizumi after all.

"He's not here." Iwaizumi deadpans.

"What!" Kageyama exclaims.

"Oikawa kicked him out two hours ago."

"No I didn't!" A voice comes from inside the apartment, sharp and angry.

"Did you or did you not throw his bags through this door?" Iwaizumi twist his body to face the new person who is standing next to him. Yachi looks up at the man with her mouth open. She loves Kageyama, everyone knows that is truth; she thinks he's handsome, kinda dark and mysterious at first but adorable when you get to know him. Hinata is different, she loves him too; he's cute, pretty and endearing with his unruly orange hair and his wild, shiny aura around him. But the man standing there is stunning; the kind of guy she would never approach in a million years, too overwhelmed by the beauty and power he seems to be emanating. She blinks her eyes a couple of times just to keep her eyes inside their sockets, because, _wow_.

"I asked him to leave in a very polite way given the way he bit me." Oikawa says, showing them his arm where they can see two red bite marks.

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes before saying, "You were asking for it. You could have been nicer."

With a faint shade of pink on his cheeks, Oikawa clears his throat uncomfortably. "What about if we keep talking inside?" Though the hallway is completely empty, he gestures them to go inside the apartment with an unreadable expression, like he is trying to hide something beneath his forced poker face.

As Kageyama and Yachi start taking off their shoes to go inside, Oikawa asks Kageyama in a whisper, "and who's the blondie?"

Snapping his head to look at Oikawa with shocked eyes, Kageyama feels his throat go dry before stuttering, "s-she's my g-girlfriend."

"Hi," Yachi says shyly, hiding behind Kageyama.

"Oh. Oh... Wait, what are you doing chasing Shou-chan then?" Oikawa asks confused as he guides them to the living room.

"We love him!" Yachi says at the same time Kageyama blurts "It's none of your business."

With a groan, Kageyama holds Yachi's shoulders and makes her sit on the couch, "let me do the talking, please," he says trying to be as gentle as his nerves let him. When he sits next to the girl, his eyes darts to Oikawa angrily, who is smirking at them.

"Now I get it." Oikawa shoots them a sly smile, sitting on an armchair in front of them, when a hand smacks him on the head. "Ack! Iwa-chan!"

"Don't." That's all Iwaizumi needs to shut Oikawa up.

"Look, all we want is find him and talk to him. That's all. If you have any idea where he could be, tell us and we'll leave." Kageyama says, lifting his hands as a peace gesture. He had hoped this to be a quick exchange; knock on the door, grab Hinata by the shirt, run until they're back home. Easy. Kageyama doesn't know how his unfailing plan is, well, failing.

Oikawa stares at them, eyes darting from him to Yachi, Iwaizumi and back to him, with the cogs in his brain spinning at insane speed. "Sure." Oikawa says slowly. Kageyama tries not to frown at the strange behaviour, is Oikawa... Scared? "Hajime, could you leave us for a few minutes? I would like to speak to Kageyama privately. You too, Yachi, please." The ring in his voice is low and too serious to expect a trivial conversation.

"Whatever you have to say to me you can say it in front of her," Kageyama says grabbing Yachi's hand and making her by his side again. On one hand, he needs her there, for moral support, and, on the other hand Kageyama is scared of Oikawa and his stupid manipulation abilities, his charm and beauty —god, why is he still so hot, and of his sweet but poisonous words. With Yachi next to him he feels strong.

The overly self confident aura that always surrounds Oikawa seems to vanish the second Kageyama answers him. Wiggling uncomfortably in his chair Oikawa eyes Iwaizumi as he makes his way out of the room with a small nod of his head;  _ you can do it _ , he seems to be telling Oikawa.

"Well?" Kageyama asks after a whole minute of silence.

"Fuck, Tobio, this isn't easy..." Oikawa says gritting his teeth.

"Just spit it out, we're in a hurry, here."

"Shut up for a second and—"

"Come on, Hitoka, were leaving..." Kageyama stands quickly enough to startle Yachi.

"No, no, wait! Fuck... I'm sorry, okay?" Oikawa yells at Kageyama, making him freeze in place. "I'm sorry about everything I did to you. Everything. Well, not everything, we had some fun, right?"

"Tooru!" Iwaizumi's voice warns Oikawa from the other room.

"You are supposed to be minding your  _ own fucking business _ !" Oikawa yells at the wall behind him. Turning with a more gentle expression on his face he says, "please, just listen to what I have to say, you're free to forgive me or not, you can leave after if you want. Please."

Completely stunned, Kageyama sits on the couch again, the end of the world must be around the corner if  _ Oikawa Tooru _ is pleading for the first time in his life.

"Thank you," Oikawa says.

"What happened to you?" Kageyama whispers, staring at Oikawa with awe.

"Iwa-chan has been knocking some sense in my head for the last months, and I guess I have to be grateful for it."

"You and Iwaizumi...?"

"Yeah, since Shou-chan left..." Kageyama grimaces at the implications of what Oikawa is saying. "Look, I'm not proud. I was scared of Shou-chan being so attached to me; I was all he had after his family left, he needed a lot of help and I felt trapped, but I also couldn't abandon him. For me, everything was a game at first and I didn't see that it wasn't the same for him until it was too late... Now I see that everything I did was wrong, I'm ready to admit that, that I'm not perfect and that I made a lot of mistakes."

"I can't believe you," Kageyama says disgusted.

"Tobio, let him finish," Yachi says softly.

"I'm sorry. I'll understand if you don't forgive me, I did terrible things to you and I have no excuse for that. I was jealous, but also I liked you and I dealt with it in the wrong way... Though I spoke with Sho-chan and he forgave me, I think he's glad that he got to know you, both of you, because all I did." Oikawa shrugs, a little more relaxed. "It was when I made a little joke about you when he went mental—"

"It wasn't little and it was very offensive!" Iwaizumi punctuates from the other side of the wall.

"Ack, Iwa-chan, please...!"

A loud snort makes Oikawa snap his head towards Kageyama, who is trying not to smile bitting his lower lip.

"You sure have changed." The Oikawa Kageyama remembers would never have said the word 'sorry' so many times in such short amount of time, above all, not to Kageyama. The tall and proud old Oikawa, full of self confidence, would have moved on in a second. Kageyama wonders what Iwaizumi did to him, what they talked about, what they did to change a total asshole into an almost decent human being.

"He changed me." Oikawa breathes, relaxing his shoulders against the backrest.

Yachi's eyes move from one to the other, not sure if she's allowed to talk. She can't believe the man apologising in front of them is the same monster Kageyama talked about, he seems so... angelic... and beautiful, Yachi can't describe him any other way and the fact that her boyfriend is also his exboyfriend makes her cheeks turn pink.

"I can't say that I forgive you for everything you did to me, not right now at least," Kageyama says slowly after a couple of minutes of silence. Reaching for Yachi's hand, he squeezes it looking for reassurance, "and what I will never forgive you for is what you did to Hinata.  _ Never _ ." Yachi nods in agreement, keeping her mouth shut. The strong grip on her hand is telling her that, despite the calming way Kageyama is speaking to Oikawa, he's dying to punch that face once again, to yell at him, to cry over him for all the pain, not only for everything Oikawa did to him, but for the all the years after that, for his nightmares and insecurities, for his cruelty against Hinata.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Oikawa closes his eyes, disappointed despite his words.

An electric silence falls over them. All the unspoken words Kageyama keeps inside his head screaming to be released as all the memories, bad moments and suffering of the last years resurface in his mind. All the sweet words Oikawa once told him —that meant the world to him— now are like dry, dirty sand scattered by a warm and pleasant wind named Yachi, trampled on by a new strong hope named Hinata.

Hanging onto this feeling, Kageyama smiles at the man sitting in front of him, finding some of the peace he has been waiting for for too long.

"Will you help us find Hinata?" Yachi asks suddenly, not being able to contain herself any more. "Did he tell you where he's going to stay?"

Oikawa's eyes, fixed on Kageyama, completely stunned by that small smile, turn to meet hers. Spell broken, the boy shakes his head and says, "no, he didn't say anything, but I know a couple of places where he could be. I'll write you down the addresses." Oikawa leaves the room quietly to grab pen and paper, leaving the couple submerged in a post shocked feeling.

"Are you okay?" She asks Kageyama with concern.

"Better than ever," he says even if he doesn't look that good.

With a smile on her lips she lifts his hand to kiss it tenderly, understanding what Kageyama means with those words.

"Here." Oikawa hands them a piece of paper as he enters the room again. "There are two places he could have go(ne). I'd check Lev's place first, I doubt Tsukki would let him stay with Yamaguchi, but check his place too, just in case."

"Thank you," Yachi says grabbing the paper.

There's no words of gratitude spilling out of Kageyama's mouth, there's not an affirmative nod in Oikawa's direction, just an intense look in his eyes, fixed on Oikawa as he steps back to his previous seat, looking kind of... defeated.

"Tobio," Oikawa says after a meaningful glance, "thank you."

Kageyama doesn't care about Oikawa's peace of mind, fuck him and fuck his redemption, he thinks, he's busy on his way to find the piece of the puzzle that's missing. But he has to admit that now, sitting there with Yachi, Oikawa before him, he feels lighter, the air fills his lungs easily, his head isn't heavy over his shoulders anymore. Sliding his eyes away to look at the paper Yachi is holding, he reads the names written on it. 'Lev' and 'Yamaguchi', yes, he can remember Hinata mentioning them. Patting his legs with both hands he stands and, with a determined face he says, "Okay, we're leaving."

 

* * *

 

Kageyama's determination dies for the second time  that day as he keeps knocking on the door with silence as an answer.

After their unfruitful trip to Lev's place this is their last hope, not that they have more options. The fifth knock seems to be the lucky one because the door opens in a sudden.

"What," the guy behind the door frame asks annoyed. The fact that he's practically naked but for a pair of briefs doesn't seem to be a nuisance for him.

Kageyama's eyes widen at the stranger's height; his short blond hair is in need of good brush. By the bad attitude the guy is showing from the beginning, Kageyama can't understand how Hinata —his sunny, always bright and friendly Hinata— could, ever, befriend this tall, salty human.

"Uh, Yamaguchi?" Yachi asks shyly.

"What do you want?" The blond asks narrowing his eyes weirdly. Is he trying to be intimidating? Because it looks like he's trying to read a book from too far.

"Tsukki! Be nice!" A voice calls from inside, followed by a not as tall boy with freckles all over his face in the same state of nudity.

"Oh," Kageyama and Yachi say at the same time, now understanding.

Red as a beet, Yachi tries not to look past down the boys’ waist, just in case. "Uh, a-are you Yamaguchi?" She asks the freckled boy.

"Ah, yes! Sorry, about Tsukki, we were... Uh, in the middle of something. Sorry. How can I help you?" Yamaguchi's cheeks redden for a second.

Still exchanging murderous looks with Tsukki, Kageyama says, "we're looking for a friend of yours, Hinata. Oikawa gave us your address."

The name seems to change Tsukki's mood. Turning to walk back inside the house, he comes back a few seconds later with a pair of black glasses on his nose and a yellow thing in his hand. "He's not here." He hands them a cell phone. Hinata's cell phone. "It's dead, but it's Hinata's, he left it here."

Once again, like a feeling of déjà vu, Kageyama tightens the grip on Hinata's small yellow —and dead— phone. Where the fuck is the dumbass?

"Wait! Are you Kageyama? Yachi?" Yamaguchi exclaims pointing at them with one finger. After receiving a nod, he adds, "wow! He has told me a lot about you two! What are you doing here?" Yamaguchi's laugh is melodic and they can't help but like the guy instantly.

"Actually, he left without notice a few days ago and we're looking for him. He was staying at Oikawa's but he's not there anymore," Yachi explains, "and then we went to... Lev?" She says reading the crumpled paper, "but nobody was at home."

"Yeah, Lev usually goes to Russia in summer visiting his family," Yamaguchi sighs.

"So he ran away again," Tsukki says cocking his hip and crossing his arms. "That's very Hinata."

Kageyama doesn't know why but this guy pisses him off.

"Shou came earlier and he just asked to keep his bags in here and left, he didn't say anything else," Yamaguchi says tapping his chin with his finger. "I tried to talk to him but he was being really weird. I was surprised to see him here, I mean, for everything he had been telling me he was doing pretty well with you two... he sounded... happy."

The loud ring of Kageyama's phone makes them jump in surprise.

"Oikawa?" Kageyama asks flabbergasted, looking at his phone like it was some kind of joke.

"I found him!" Oikawa exclaims at the other end of the line. "I know where he is."

 

* * *

 

The gym of Hinata's and Oikawa's old university is huge. With capacity to accommodate six volleyball courts, Kageyama trembles with jealousy as they walk towards one of the entrances.

They're scared. Utterly scared. As they stand in front of the red doors Oikawa had pointed out to them a couple of minutes ago, Yachi takes a hold on Kageyama's hand and exhales. She doesn't know why she's so terrified, it's Hinata after all, the boy they have known for the past —almost— three months. They have lived together, they trust each other, they have become  _ friends _ . Hinata is their friend. Yachi guesses there is where the problem is to them, they want  _ more _ . There's where the fear comes from.

For a second, she's tempted to turn around and leave, to let Hinata slip away between their fingers, anything to not ruin what they have now, anything if it would mean having Hinata by their side even as a  _ friend _ . But, once again, she knows they need more. It's painful just to imagine how it would be to come back home with empty hands and broken hearts after losing a part of them that has become as essential as a lung. That scary feeling tugs her chest once again. Despite the dread she allows herself, just for a second, to remember Hinata's smile on that day at the beach, his laugh as Kageyama tried to teach him how to swim, his contagious cheerfulness always displayed all over his face, the way their lips almost touched that night and the pressure of raw elation fighting to burst out of her chest when she thought  _ finally _ . And all that's something worth fighting for.

"Come on," she says opening the doors and shrugging, "it's just Hinata." And then she steps inside.

The huge gym is overwhelmingly empty but for a tiny figure sitting by two big ball carts on the opposite side of the court.

Slamming with a loud bang, the doors behind them alert the other boy to the newcomers, making him quickly stand on his feet and press his back against the wall behind him like a trapped animal. Carefully, Yachi and Kageyama walk towards him.

"Hey," Kageyama says as he raises a hand.

"W-what are you doing here?" Hinata asks, his  eyes wide and confused.

"We could ask you the same question, dumbass," Kageyama hisses.

"But how— I don't—" Hinata doesn't know what to say, his gaze drops to the spot Yachi's and Kageyama's hands are tightly holding each other and the babbling stops. "You two..."

"We what?" Yachi asks, blinking, her eyes darting from Hinata to Kageyama.

Just as she thought, Hinata still thinks that they broke up that night, that, somehow, it was his fault; Yachi can only imagine how guilty Hinata must've felt.

"I thought that you two... are you... mmm... still together?" Hinata's voice is unsteady.

"Why the fuck did you ran away?" Kageyama asks angrily, ignoring Hinata's question. "Do you know how worried we were? No! You had to—"

"I didn't run—"

Raising his voice, Kageyama lets go of Yachi's hand to take a step toward Hinata. "Yes, you did! Hitoka and I have been looking for you—"

"Well I didn't ask you to!" Red with frustration, Hinata clenches his fists, his breath becoming heavy and brow furrowed.

"Hey!" Yachi's yelp is completely ignored by the two boys.

With a loud smack, Kageyama's hands hit the wall at both sides of Hinata's head, caging him; he's not going to let Hinata run away again.

"How on earth could you  _ ever  _ think that we would let you go away from us? Of course we would look for you..." His voice softens and his eyes run over the boy; from his completely disheveled and tangled hair to his white knuckles, from his big brown eyes to his shaking knees. "Of course we..." As soon as he starts speaking again he knows he doesn't know how to explain this to Hinata, damn, he should have left the talking to Yachi.

"I fucked everything up." Hinata's words aren't louder than a whisper but they rumble inside the empty gym. Shutting his eyes tightly he continues, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry... please..." As the sound of his voice fades into inaudible mumbles.

"Why are you saying that?" Yachi asks closing the gap between her and the two boys silently. "Hinata, look at us... Hinata!" She repeats when there's no answer, "Shouyou..."

Brown eyes snap open, a little watery but no tears fall from them.

Kageyama's arms fall to hang lifeless at his sides, giving Yachi the opportunity to hold his hand again.

"Say it," Kageyama commands in a whisper. He can feel they're almost there, that they can almost touch it. Hinata just needs a small push, like he needed not long ago, because the two boys are so alike it's scary. Kageyama can feel all his own fears in Hinata, spiralling inside him, confusing him, consuming him.

"I thought it was my fault... I thought you broke up because... because of me." Hinata says, sliding his eyes down again to look at his own feet. A little more relaxed he let's his back touch the wall again. "I thought I fucked up again. As always. You're not gonna punch me, are you?" After a questioning look from Kageyama, Hinata  quickly adds, "I-I almost kissed Yachi! And everything was so... I'm sorry, it's all that I can say. You two mean so much to me," suddenly, the ring on Hinata's voice changes, a new found determination surrounds him. His clenched fists aren't trembling anymore and the frown on his face doesn't show fear like a few seconds ago, "but I regret nothing. I don't regret meeting you, I don't regret living with you, I don't regret a second spent with you two."

A shy smile slowly spreads over Kageyama's and Yachi's faces. As they watch the boy before them gaining confidence little by little, they realise that Kenma was right, Daichi was right... They fight back a shiver of anticipation.

"Neither do we," Yachi says softly at the same time Kageyama nods in agreement.

"And... yes... I ran away." A shadow of embarrassment crosses Hinata's face, quickly replaced by determination. "I started feeling... things and I wanted them to go away, I thought they'd disappear if I put some distance." Hinata swallows loudly. "You two are a couple, a nice sweet couple, you don't deserve anyone stepping between you two like I did." Finally, a tear appears on Hinata's face. After that, the short boy falls silent, bitting his lower lip.

Even though he promised himself to let Hinata talk until the end, the pain in his chest after seeing that single tear making its way down Hinata's cheek to the front of his shirt changes Kageyama's plans. Raising a hand to wipe the wet trail the tear left Kageyama says, "what did you feel? What  _ are _ you feeling now?" Hinata's face turns red and his lips split apart as he slightly leans into the warmth of that hand that begins to cup his face.

"I— I—" Hinata stutters, words slipping out of his mind before reaching his lips. His breathing becomes shallow and his eyes widen as Kageyama's tall body takes a step closer, leaning towards him.

_ Do it, do it _ , Kageyama's brain is screaming,  _ it's what you have wanted even before you knew it.  _ Of course he wants to do it, of course he wants to kiss Hinata, to touch his pink lips, to steal all the air he has inside and make him beg for more, but he can't bring himself to do it. Despite everything he has been through a tiny, small, minuscule, microscopic speck of fear lingers in the back of his brain, and that's what makes him hesitate for a second.

From her close, yet too far, spot Yachi sees Kageyama stop and her heart stops with him. Quickly, she slides her free hand in Hinata's, making him loosen the fist and she squeezes it.

That small hand now between Hinata's fingers seems to be all the reassurance that the boy needs, the push his body needs to land a hand on the one on his cheek and close that gap keeping him apart from Kageyama's lips. The kiss is light, barely a brush of softness and a caress of contained air. It's an invitation to something more, a key to open a sealed door that has been closed with a lock made of fear.

Without any doubt left, Kageyama takes that invitation, capturing Hinata's lips moving his with an unchained desperation.

Hinata breaks the contact with a jolt, suddenly realising what he's doing. "Sorry!" He says out of breath just before a second pair of lips kiss him sweet and nice before Yachi's arms are thrown around his neck.

Sobbing in relief, laughing and cursing the three of them melt in a warm hug; "Thank god," Yachi says as Kageyama curses "fuck, fuck, fuck", while Hinata still not believing what just happened can't stop muttering "holy shit, holy fucking shit", like a mantra.

"Does this mean what I think this means?" Hinata asks after a good five minutes of hugging.

"Of course, dumbass," Kageyama scoffs.

"I can't breath," Yachi says from the tight space between the two boys.

Once released, Yachi smiles. She feels like floating, the air around them light as a feather. Hinata's beaming openly, his chest swollen with happiness.

"I can't believe this... So what's next? What happens from now on?" Hinata asks as he reaches for Kageyama's and Yachi's hands at the same time.

"Well, I say that we go grab your things and go back home," Yachi answers giggling.

Kageyama takes a sharp breath.  _ Go back home _ . He shivers thinking about all the possibilities; yes, they're going back home, but nothing is going to be the same, it's going to be better, it's going to be a little scary, but looking at the two people he loves he can't bring himself to care. Yeah, who cares as long as he's with them.

"So... What do you say, Shouyou?"

 


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, this is the end. Thank you so much for sticking with me and reading this story. I don't know if I want to cry or what but this is kinda sad :__(

**Four months later**

 

After sneezing four times in a row, Hinata stops his pace, leaving the grocery bags on the wet and slippery concrete floor to readjust the green scarf around his neck. As his mother used to say, Hinata is, and always will be, a summer child. Born just in time to see his very first summer, Hinata's first life experience was warm and bright. That's why, despite his usual cheerfulness, Hinata can't help but be all gloomy because of the bad weather.

Rubbing his hands together trying to keep them warm enough until he gets home, he grabs the heavy bags again and starts walking. Due to the cold temperatures of the past few days, his knee has been giving him some trouble, making him limp at unpredictable moments. The big backpack hanging on his shoulders isn't helping either; full of text books and a couple of notebooks, all the additional weight slowing his pace.

A sudden breeze makes him shiver and a quick peek at his watch causes him to mutter "ah, fuck" and walk faster.

He really  _ really _ doesn't like winter.

"Ah, thank god you're here!" A voice welcomes him from the kitchen the exact moment he closes the front door of the apartment. "Do you have everything we need?"

"Yeah, yeah..." He answers distractedly as he tries to untangle himself from the long knitted piece of clothing; his mother really needs to learn how to knit shorter scarfs.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yachi asks concerned, looking at him from the kitchen door.

"Yes, sorry, just a little tired, the library was packed and we had to wait until one of the studying rooms were free," Hinata answers, finally hanging the scarf on the clothes rack.

Yachi hums, not buying Hinata's words. "How's your study group going? Ah! The test! How did the test go?"

"...good." He leans toward the wall, resting his forehead against it. He feels tired, really tired, and his knee is not helping at all.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Yachi asks softly, hugging him from behind. Hinata shivers, a little ashamed, but not as much as at the beginning of their relationship, now he has no problem admitting when he's not feeling his best. The truth is that, months ago, he would have shrugged, he would have kept pushing himself beyond his limits without hesitation, because what's the point if you can't do your best and a little bit more? But now... now he knows better. There's no point in breaking yourself when you have so much to lose.

So he sighs, grateful for the hug, grateful for all the changes.

"I'm not doing well, the test... I could have done  it better," his shoulders sink, still not facing Yachi, "my knee hurts again and I'm afraid of going to the clinic again without Tobio, I really like to go see his practice matches and I want to, but sometimes it hurts too much..." Hinata takes a deep breath, so much honesty is exhausting. "I'm afraid that I'm going to disappoint everyone again, my grades aren't bad but they're not great either, my knee is not getting better, I  _ want _ to see Tobio's matches but I can't..." Hinata feels suddenly out of breath and Yachi takes the opportunity to rub his back and hug him tighter.

"You have never disappointed anyone," Yachi says, not forcing the boy to face her; if he feels more comfortable talking to the wall, she will accept it. "It's true that you're not the best of your class but that's why you joined the study group! Give yourself some time, please? And about Tobio... I'm sure he would say ' _ dumbass, why didn't you tell me earlier? _ '" She fakes Kageyama's deep voice. "Talk to him, tell him how you feel, I'm sure he'll understand, and though he loves to share volleyball with you, he loves you even more, so it's going to be okay."

Hinata's shaking body makes Yachi take a step back, it wasn't her intention to make him cry.

A giggle fills the room and Yachi slaps Hinata in the arm, "you scared me! I thought I made you cry!"

"I'm sorry!" Hinata says still laughing, "that impression was too good."

"You idiot..." She says halfhearted, "come on, let’s start with the cake before the other idiot comes back home."

Apparently, baking a cake is not as easy as Yachi thought; after breaking two eggs and making some butter explode inside the microwave she decides that yeah, maybe she should be following the recipe more carefully, because  _ no, Shouyou, no, I haven't baked a cake before, no, Shouyou, no, I don't know what 'preheat' the oven means _ .

All the ingredients are scattered all over the table, the counter and even inside the sink. Hinata doesn't know why they need two different kinds of butter, heart shaped sugar figures or almost three pounds of chocolate, but, after all, it wasn't his idea to bake a birthday cake without any previous experience. It's not like they're swimming in money, but they have enough to buy a small cake and maybe a little present, god, he's sure Kageyama would prefer some birthday sex than a burnt cake —sure thing he would prefer the sex, who wouldn't, having a boyfriend like Kageyama, with his long and toned arms, with that flat and hard stomach and deep blue eyes—

"... Shou... Shou!" Yachi calls him for a fifth time. When Hinata finally looks at her, his eyes are a little dazed and unfocused, lost inside his own fantasies. "I asked you to pass me the flour."

"Oh, yes, o-of course," he says blushing hard. Who would have guessed that baking could cause  such explicit daydreams.

As soon as his body turns to hand her the heavy flour bag he know he's not gonna make it. Very aware that the twist of knee he's trying to do is something he's not able to accomplish anymore, Hinata doesn't have time to change how his body has decided to move without his consent, so he hisses in pain and loses his balance.

Soft and puffy white clouds cover his eyes in less than a second when the bag breaks. He lands over a soft body with a huff, and then, both, Yachi and Hinata, start coughing, breathing the dust floating around them.

"Shouyou..." Yachi half complains half moans, "... Heavy..."

After a few seconds that feel like a few minutes, the clouds vanish and Hinata can't help it but take a couple of heartbeats to stare in awe at the girl under him; the white dust finally has settled on every inch of the small kitchen, them included, making it look like a snowstorm has just passed over the room. The flour layer on Yachi's skin, hair and clothes makes her glow in an ethereal way, launching Hinata's heart into a cosmic travel, because he's sure that it's beating so fast it must be somewhere between Earth and the sun by now. Scared of the crazy pounding inside his chest, the boy blinks a couple of times in order to blow away some of the flour on his eyelashes before closing the little distance between Yachi and himself. With a small sigh, Hinata pokes his tongue out and licks a stripe over Yachi's nose.

"Ack!" She yelps instantly. "Stop licking me! I thought you were going to kiss me," she adds with a pout.

"And I'm going to, just wait." Hinata licks his finger this time and moves it to her cheek, drawing three lines there and repeating the process on the other one. "There."

Not being able to see her own face, Yachi blinks confused, "what?" She asks tugging at Hinata's shirt.

Beaming at her and his masterpiece, Hinata finally kisses her, slowly at first, treasuring every touch of their lips, every soft bump of their noses. The kiss tastes different, the flour making it dry, but Hinata would enjoy kissing Yachi even if she was covered in mud. After a couple of minutes, he lifts himself a little, giving her more space to move her arms around his neck, locking him in place to deepen the kiss. It's funny how after four months Hinata still feels Yachi's —and Kageyama's— kisses like the first one they shared inside that gym back in Tokyo; his body shivers with Yachi's fingers running through his hair, his breath runs away from his lungs every time her teeth bite his lips and all he wants is to lose himself in the warmth of her body.

As the kiss starts to heat up, becoming more and more desperate by the second, Hinata breaks it to take a deep breath, moving one of his hands to slide under Yachi's sweater, because,  _ why is there so much clothes between them? _

"What the HELL?"

Jumping until they're sitting in the middle of the flour disaster, Hinata and Yachi turn their heads to look at a stunned Kageyama who is standing by the kitchen door, eyes wide open in horror.

A giggle escapes from Hinata's red and swollen lips. "Happy birthday," he says, knowing that they've been caught red handed.

Kageyama's eyes, still horrified, meet Hinata's, and says, with a serious voice, "so what? My gift is to clean up this mess? While you two have sex in the middle of it? No thanks."

"You can join us!" Hinata exclaims with a naughty grin on his face, standing as fast as his sore knee lets him. From the floor, Yachi slaps his ass. "Ouch!"

"No! Ugh— I'm— we're sorry Tobio! We were going to do something special for you and then Shouyou... And the flour... And then, he was so cute with all his face covered in..." She stops her apologies to take a better look of her surroundings. After gasping and lifting her dirty hands to cover her mouth she whispers, "oh god, this is a  _ disaster _ ."

And she's right, the entire kitchen is a mess. Everything is covered with the white powder, the floor around them is dirty with their footsteps, hand prints and all kind of marks from their make out session. However, Hinata is not going to let this ruin Kageyama's birthday.

"Hey, hey," he says, trying to soothe her, "don't worry, I'll clean it up in a second and then we can finish," Hinata leans toward the rest of the flour bag lying on the kitchen floor where it landed, "see? There's still enough!" The smile never leaves his lips, but deep inside he is regretting this; the kitchen really is a disaster, he is never going to finish cleaning everything. White clouds of dust leave Yachi's head when Hinata pats her hair.

"What's wrong with your face?" Kageyama asks with a smile.

"What? My face?" Yachi asks confused. "It's just flour."

"No, I mean..." Kageyama gestures with his hands around his cheeks and nose, his smile widening when he eyes Hinata, silently laughing behind Yachi.

"Huh?" She instantly runs to the bathroom looking for a mirror and leaving the two boys laughing in the middle of the white kitchen.

"So," Hinata begins, a little more shy this time, taking a step closer to Kageyama, "happy birthday."

A big hand lands on his cheek, brushing away the flour.The gap now is minimal and the kiss is light, but the sparks burn inside them.

"This is why you didn't come to see the practice match? To try some weird kink with Hitoka?" Kageyama teases with his lips still brushing Hinata's.

"No..." Hinata answers not paying attention to the joke. "Yachi asked me to do something nice for you, also I had a study session with the rest of the class after the..." Hinata hugs Kageyama and nuzzles his dirty hair on the clean shirt, hoping for Kageyama not to realise that he's doing it on purpose.

"Ah! Right! The test! How did it go?" Kageyama takes a step back to look at Hinata in the eyes.

A little ashamed to say that it didn't go as well as he expected, Hinata bites his lip. A scream from the bathroom saves him temporarily from answering.

"Shou!! I'm a cat!" Yachi half laughs half yells as she crosses the kitchen door.

"Did you like it?" Hinata asks clapping his hands together.

"What the hell were you trying to do here?" Kageyama interrupts, "some kind of necromancy?"

"No!" Yachi says offended, her angry face completely ruined by the cuteness of her whiskers. "A birthday cake!"

Eyeing the mess of ingredients scattered around them Kageyama isn't sure of the veracity of Yachi's words. "Are you sure?" He asks slowly. Yachi's angry 'tch' makes him raise his hands apologetically add quickly adds, "okay, okay. But, seriously, just some birthday sex would have been okay too."

"I agree with that!" Hinata says, lifting a hand while he pushes the other one past the waistband of Kageyama's sweatpants with a mischievous grin.

"Hey!" Kageyama complains.

"No!" Yachi yells, shoving the other boy's hand out of Kageyama's groin. "I mean, yes, but, can't you just wait until later?"

With a sigh, Hinata complies; Yachi has been talking about baking this cake themselves for a week, after all.

"Look, how about you two clean a little and take a shower while I go buy a cake?" Kageyama suggests, placing a hand on both Yachi's and Hinata's shoulder. "I really appreciate your gift, but maybe we could try it tomorrow, the three of us together. It could be cool to eat cake two days in a row! And tonight we could just cuddle on the couch and watch a movie? I would really like that."

That doesn't sound bad at all, or at least it sounds better than baking and eating an experimental cake with high risk of diarrhea in the morning.

"Could it be a strawberry cake?" Hinata asks, his mouth already watering at the thought of a non burned cake.

"Who's birthday is it, dumbass?"

"Yours..."

"Then you don't pick the cake," Kageyama says fishing his wallet from the gym bag near the front door. "Go shower, you look like a huge marshmallow and it's creepy." After closing the door behind him Kageyama yells, "but don't shower together! I want to be present for my gift!"

 

* * *

 

The room is quiet, the only sound reverberating through the walls is the water running inside the bathroom where Yachi is still cleaning herself after leaving the kitchen in a more or less decent state with Hinata's help. The flour was everywhere, and everywhere means even behind the clock hanging on the wall, between the forks and even inside the microwave. Thankfully, Kageyama helped a little after he came back with the cake until they cleaned almost 90% of it, though Hinata's sure that they will be finding flour in unexpected places for, at least, another month.

A small drop falls from his damp hair and Hinata ruffles the towel over his dark orange curls in order to dry it enough for it to stop leaking over his clothes. The last thing he wants is Yachi scolding him for getting sick.

His unfocused gaze slides around the room; the place looks like exactly the same as before he left it four months ago but for a little messy desk placed under the window where Hinata spends most of his time now, studying, reading, doing homework. Despite Kageyama's complaining, Yachi had insisted keeping the room for Hinata, which he appreciates because as much as he loves sleeping with them, it's obvious that the bed is too small for three sleeping adults —well, just one of them is actually the size of an adult, but whatever. After a few incidents involving getting kicked in the gut and a free fall from the mattress followed by a very unpleasant awakening, they started saving money to buy a bigger bed.

Standing slowly he walks to the desk and looks down at the sheets full of notes and books spread over the dark wooden surface. His heart beats a little faster when he looks at the picture pinned to the wall near the desk lamp and, bitting his lower lip he raises his hand to touch the smiling faces captured on the paper. They took the picture four months ago, when, after a very unpleasant but necessary conversation between the three of them, Hinata had called his mother. The woman took the first flight she could to be with her son and Hinata cried in relief after the long conversation he shared with his mother.

All the fears that had made Hinata's heart feel heavy in his chest vanished after that visit; He could, finally, talk to his mom about how he felt after she left and how he barely dealt with his injury, and then the surgery, without her. The words flowed between them like never before, and Hinata felt how the connection that he thought he lost with his mom, revived with all the hugs, kisses and apologies he received.

Yachi and Kageyama were there with them. At first, Hinata's mother didn't understand why they were there, but the way they looked at each other, the way their tangled fingers rested on her son's thigh, the way they ran their fingers though the orange locks while Hinata sobbed on her shoulder... All that told her everything she had to know, and looking at the tired but bright smile Hinata shot at them afterwards erased all the questions she still could have in her mind. She just smiled and nodded.

That way Hinata signed up for college again, his mom wanted to pay for everything she could, even the therapy sessions he could need,  _ no, don't worry about the money, I want to help you _ . Hinata knows that his mother is not a rich person, she works hard, she had always worked hard to provide for him and Natsu, that's why her words meant so much when she spoke them. 

They posed outside the main building, happy, smiling, because, though all the bumps he found in his path, with his family and loved ones, he found a way to come back where he was supposed to be.

A soft knock on the door makes him sweep his eyes from the picture, the tip of his fingers still brushing the shiny surface of the paper, to look at Kageyama's head poking inside the room with concerned eyes.

"Hey," Kageyama says as he walks inside the room. Hinata notices how carefully he closes the door behind him and tilts his head.  _ Oh, no. _ Yachi must've told him. "Have a minute?" Kageyama is scary when he's this cautious; Hinata likes the friendly bickering Kageyama better. Caution means serious talk and he doesn't want that right now.

"Yachi told you," he says, eyes downcast.

"No, she just said that maybe you have something to tell me." With only two steps Kageyama is by his side, and that's when he sees the hand over the picture. "What's wrong?"

"Can't we talk another day? It's your birthday," Hinata says a little annoyed and tries to walk past Kageyama to go to the living room but a firm grasp on his shoulder stops him from taking another step.

"I don't care, dumbass, tell me." There is his Kageyama.

Hinata bites his lip again. The hand on his shoulder forces him to turn around and he knows he won't be able to skip the conversation, so he sighs and looks at Kageyama with a frown pinched between his eyebrows and trying to hide his embarrassment.

Both Kageyama's hands are now on him and his grip tightens by the second as Hinata refuses to speak.

"I... I don't— I don't want to..." Hinata's voice trails off as his head falls on his chest, his ears turning into the color of pure disappointment.

"Louder, idiot"

"You're not helping!"

"Spit it already!"

This bickering is what fuels their relationship, just as much as all the kisses, tender gazes or hair ruffling. The hair at the back of Hinata's head suddenly stands up as the courage fills him, reddening his cheeks to match his ears.

"I don't want to go to your practice matches!" His voice comes higher than intended and Kageyama's hands leave his shoulders at the same time his eyes widen. "I mean," Hinata runs a hand through his wet and messy hair awkwardly.  _ Fuck _ , this was easier with Yachi, it's all Kageyama's fault and his worried eyes and cautious voice, "I know I've been going to all your matches and most of your practices and I love it and I know that you love it too, but I just can't keep doing it, it  _ hurts _ . It hurts not being able to be on the court with you, to play with you..." Hinata squeezes his eyes shut as two big arms hug him before he can realise what the hell is happening.

"Why didn't you tell me all this sooner, dumbass?" Kageyama whispers in Hinata's wet curls.

"Because of the way you smile at me after your team scores a point isn't scary at all." Hinata says with his nose a little crushed against Kageyama's chest.

Kageyama freezes after that and his arms surrounding Hinata crush him a little harder. Wiggling, Hinata lifts his head to look at Kageyama, whose face, very close to Hinata's has turned red.

"S-shut up, dumbass." Kageyama stutters lowering his voice to a whisper. It's endearing the way Kageyama blushes, obviously still not used to Hinata's sappy lines.

Hinata touches Kageyama's jaw line with shaking fingers because he needs to feel Kageyama, because he needs to feel that this is real, that he's not alone anymore, that the overwhelming feeling of being loved is not just a projection of his desires. And then he smiles, he can't do anything but smile at Kageyama's sudden shyness.

"Would you come again with me to the clinic?" Hinata asks, all trace of fear gone.

"Is your knee bothering you again?"

"Yeah, that's why the kitchen ended up looking like Narnia." Hinata jokes.

Kageyama doesn't laughs and Hinata thinks that maybe he shouldn't have joked about his injury. He clicks his tongue and hides his little smile on Hinata's hair.

"Of course I'll go with you. Always."

"If you don't come in here soon," Yachi's exasperated voice makes them start, "I'll eat the cake all by myself and I'm not joking!"

Smiling, Hinata and Kageyama look at each other and untangle themselves. Before Hinata reaches the door, Kageyama's hand finds his shoulder once again, holding him gently as he says near his ear with a deep voice: "don't eat too much cake, you still owe me a birthday gift and I don't want you to throw up again on the bed."

Hinata gulps and opens the door. Well, he always can have the cake for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Yachi's bd hinata ate almost the whole cake and ended up throwing up on the bed and a little on Kageyama's back and Kageyama doesn't want to experience the feeling of a soup-like thing sliding down his back ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE to read fanfiction. It wasn't until recently though, but since August '15 I've read tons of fics.
> 
> Every morning, when I wake up, I check my email for noticications of new updates on my favourites fics or new fics uploaded by my favourite writers... And I love it, it makes me so happy every time I get an email from ao3.  
> And yesterday I was having some kind of mystical revelation and I thought "wow, maybe someone is feeling this happy every time I upload a new chapter" and my mind almost blew up.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read this, to every one who leaves kudos, to everyone who leaves a comment. THANK YOU SO MUCH!


End file.
